Patna, Aug 20 (IANS): Bihar's ruling Janata Dal-United (JD-U) on Friday gave a jolt to its alliance partners, the BJP and the HAM, as it inducted one leader each from both parties.

A welcome event was organised at the party office here where Bharatiya Janata Party leader and former minister Sonadhari Singh Yadav and Hindustani Awam Morcha leader Satyanarayan Sharma joined the JD-U in presence of its state President Umesh Kushwaha, and ministers Ashok Chaudhary and Sheela Mandal. This was the first time that a BJP leader joined the JD-U, post the 2020 Bihar Assembly election.

Yadav said that the BJP is a party of "cheaters" and "forgers".

"I have stayed in the BJP for the last 8 years and observed its leadership from top to bottom. All leaders are poisonous apart from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"I firmly believe that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is doing good work for the welfare of Bihar and Bihari people. I am influenced by his ideology," he said.

Yadav lauded Nitish Kumar for demanding a caste-based census in the country. "Centre should conduct it in the entire country. The Prime Minister has given time to leaders of Bihar on August 23 and I am expecting a positive decision will come out from it," he said.

Sharma said that Nitish Kumar has taken some "brave decisions" in the interests of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in Bihar.

Chaudhary said that the party welcomes the two leaders and they will get adequate respect.