Bihar Elections 2020: JD(U) expels 15 leaders for anti-party activities

New Delhi, Oct 13: Ahead of the Bihar Elections, the Janata Dal (U) has expelled 15 of its leaders for anti-party activities.

The list of those expelled leaders also include and MLA, former MLAs and former ministers of the party for their involvement in anti-party activities.

This comes a day after the BJP expelled its nine leaders, including a sitting member of the outgoing assembly and two former MLAs, for entering the fray against official NDA candidates, mostly as nominees of the Lok Janshakti Party headed by Chirag Paswan which has raised a banner of revolt against the JD(U). According to a communication to the effect issued by state president Sanjay Jaiswal, the rebels have been expelled for a period of six years as they failed to meet the deadline set by BJP leadership for withdrawing nomination papers by October 12, thereby defying party discipline.

Those who have faced the action include Ravindra Yadav, the sitting MLA from Jhajha who has been fielded by Chirag Paswan-led party from the constituency after the BJP conceded the seat to Chief Minister Nitish Kumars JD(U). Another expelled BJP leader is Rameshwar Chaurasiya, who had represented Nokha as a BJP MLA a number of times. His seat has fallen into the JD(U) kitty and the LJP had fielded him from neighbouring Sasaram.

Another prominent figure to have faced expulsion is Rajendra Singh, known to have deep roots in the Sangh Parivar and the runner up from Dinara in 2015. In the last polls Singh was being projected as a potential Chief Ministerial candidate though the BJP which was leading an NDA weakened with Nitish Kumars exit lost badly to the Grand Alliance comprising the JD(U), Lalu Prasads RJD and Congress. Singh is now the LJP candidate from Dinara which sitting JD(U) MLA and state minister Jai Kumar Singh seeks to retain.

Other expelled BJP rebels cum LJP candidates are Usha Vidyarthi (Paliganj), who had won the seat on a saffron party ticket in 2010, besides Mrinal Shekhar (Amarpur), Shweta Singh (Sandesh) amd Indu Kashyap (Jehanabad). Chirag Paswan had been attacking Nitish Kumar for past several months and recently announced his decision to defeat the JD(U) and, paradoxically, work for installation of a "BJP-led government" in Bihar.