Controversial former MP Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav today joined Bihar’s ruling RJD and was promptly rewarded with a party ticket to contest the bypoll to Madhepura Lok Sabha seat, a day after he quit the Lok Janshakti Party.Yadav, who secured bail from the Patna High Court today in connection with the killing of CPI-M MLA Ajit Sarkar at Purnea in 1998, told reporters at Beur Jail that ‘‘he had joined the RJD’’. ‘‘I am thankful to Lalooji and I will with a huge margin,’’ he added.However, the CPI(M) — which supports the UPA Government whose ally is Laloo Prasad Yadav’s RJD — strongly criticised the Railway Minister’s decision to nominate Yadav. ‘‘He is accused of killing our leader. How can we think of supporting him?’’ asked Ganesh Shanker Vidyarthi, CPM state secretary.In Thiruvananthapuram, the RJD chief, who along with his family is on a tour of South India, told reporters that Yadav would contest as the RJD nominee from Madhepura, the seat which was vacated by him to retain Chhapra.While the Congress and LJP are yet to declare their respective positions for the by-elections, Balram Singh Yadav is CPI(M)’s candidate thereThe former MP, meanwhile, was not released from Beur jail till late evening as the court order had not reached. Justice R.S. Garg granted him regular bail on two sureties of Rs 50,000 each, subject to certain conditions. ‘‘He cannot leave the country without the court’s permission and would present himself before the court on certain dates.
