Patna, Feb 19 (IANS): Tarakant Jha, former chairman of the Bihar legislative council, Wednesday resigned from the BJP, of which he as a founder member, and joined the ruling Janata Dal-United.

"Yes, I have left the BJP and joined JD-U," Jha, who is also a former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state president, told media persons here.

According to a BJP leader close to Jha, he was unhappy and angry with the BJP for the past few months due to the style of functioning of some party leaders.

"Jha felt hurt by the party for having neither given him honour nor respect despite the fact that he spent over five decades with the party, first with the Jana Sangh and later with the BJP," the leader said.

Jha, in his early 80s, joined the JD-U here in the presence of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

He is a senior Patna High Court lawyer and played a key role in inclusion of Maithili language in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution by submitting 27 lakh signatures to the president.

Jha said he will work to support Nitish Kumar for development of Bihar.

BJP state president Mangal Pandey refused to comment.