Former Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) women’s wing State President Ritu Jaiswal joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Patna on Tuesday, marking a significant political shift in Bihar’s regional political landscape. Jaiswal formally joined the BJP at the party office in Patna in the presence of Bihar BJP president Sanjay Sarawagi. Her induction comes shortly after she publicly announced her decision on social media, where she described politics as “a means of service, responsibility, and ideology, not display,” signalling her ideological justification for the switch.

Before joining the BJP, Jaiswal had served as a prominent figure in the RJD, holding the position of state president of its women’s wing and also working as the party’s national spokesperson between 2021 and 2023. She had been considered one of the visible women leaders within the party structure during that period. Her departure from the RJD follows reported internal differences after she was denied a ticket from her preferred constituency during the previous Bihar Assembly elections. Following that decision, she contested the election as an Independent candidate from the Parihar constituency, marking the beginning of her estrangement from the party leadership.

After joining the BJP, Jaiswal told PTI that her decision was driven by a broader ideological alignment. She said that viewing politics through a single lens limits perspective and added that she felt “proud” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership approach, without elaborating further on policy specifics. In her earlier social media post announcing her decision, she reiterated her belief that politics should be centred on service and responsibility rather than display or political spectacle. She also commented on prevailing national circumstances, stating that India was navigating sensitive challenges and emphasising the importance of restraint in political conduct.

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The BJP has welcomed her induction as part of its ongoing efforts to strengthen its organisational base in Bihar ahead of future electoral contests. Party leaders present at the event described her entry as a positive reinforcement of the party’s outreach among women leaders in the state. Jaiswal’s move is being seen as part of a broader pattern of political realignments in Bihar, where shifting party loyalties continue to play a key role in shaping the state’s competitive electoral environment.

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