Dissidents elect Upendra Kushwaha as JD(U) state president

Patna, Aug 30 (UNI) Dissidents today unanimously elected suspended JD(U) leader Upendra Kushwaha the new president of the state unit of the party.

In a state council meeting here, called by dissident JD(U) MLA and state general secretary of the party Lalan Paswan, its members unanimously elected Mr Kushwaha as the new state president of the party.

The suspended JD(U) MLA Lalan Paswan claimed that a resolution to this effect was passed by the state council meeting where 304 of the total 384 members were present. The resolution was proposed by senior party leader Nageshwar Rai and seconded by Julfikar Ali, while 304 members of the state council supported it.

Mr Paswan said earlier during the day, the state council had passed another resolution announcing that the disciplinary action taken against Mr Kushwaha would be treated as 'null and void'.

He said Mr Kushwaha was suspended from the party by national president of JD(U) Sharad Yadav on the recommendation of the incumbent state president Lalan Singh.

Mr Singh was not a constitutionally elected state party president, he added.

'' Mr Singh was not a constitutionally elected state president of the party as he was nominated by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and it was not ratified by the state council within six months, as was mandatory under the party constitution'', he pointed out.

'' How can Mr Singh, who is himself not a constitutionally elected state president of the party, recommend disciplinary action against Mr Kushwaha'', Mr Paswan pointed out.

UNI