Patna, Dec 28: Former Bihar chief minister and socialist veteran Ramsunder Das is joining the JD(U) tomorrow.

The move is being viewed as chief minister Nitish Kumar’s (in picture) strategy to take on UPA’s Dalit leader and Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan and broaden the party’s Dalit base ahead of Lok Sabha polls.

JD(U) sources revealed that NDA’s acting convener and JD(U) president Sharad Yadav is expected to grace the function in which Das will swear in, along with some of his supporters.

A lot of importance is being attached to the development, as Das has been a respectable name in Bihar politics.

Das belongs to the “Chamar” community a caste that is numerically preponderant in Bihar. His inclusion in JD(U) is expected to strengthen the party among Dalits. Nitish also plans to constitute a Mahadalit commission and announce schemes, including free homes, for the community members.

Das’s inclusion proves an adage — politics makes strange bedfellows. It was Das who contested for the chief minister’s post against Lalu Prasad in 1990 in which Lalu defeated Das to take on the state’s reigns. And in that period, it was Nitish Kumar — then working tandem with “pal” Lalu Prasad in the Janata Dal — who ensured the latter’s victory despite Das enjoying V.P. Singh’s support.

Das became the chief minister in 1978 after the Karpoori Thakur-led Janata Party government fell on its face due to inter-rank bickering.

The NDA initially tried to wean Ram Vilas Paswan out by playing on the latter’s dislike of Lalu Prasad for the Hajipur seat as an NDA nominee. But, NDA sources said that the move was abandoned, as it became clear that Paswan would stay in the UPA and contest the next polls as an UPA nominee.

In the run up to the Lok Sabha polls, the JD(U) has settled for a formidable candidate against Paswan rather than woo the latter. And it finds in Das a befitting match as Das had once won the Hajipur Lok Sabha seat.

At that time, Paswan had contested from the Rosera seat. It is known that Paswan has never tasted defeat from the Hajipur seat.