Nitish suspends 21 Sharad Yadav loyalists from JD(U) over 'anti-party activities'

Patna: Cracks seem to have widened within the JD(U) after the party on Monday suspended 21 leaders, close to Sharad Yadav, for opposing Nitish Kumar’s decision to join hands with the BJP in Bihar.

Bihar JD(U) president Basisth Narayan Singh ordered the suspension of 21 party members including former MLA Ramai Ram, former MP Arjun Rai and several others “for indulging in anti-party activities”.

Party leaders said that “the move is also an indication that no one including Sharad Yadav will be spared for going against the party line”. All 21 members are considered to be loyalists of Sharad Yadav.

The move comes more than 24 hours after JD(U) removed Sharad Yadav as its leader and Ali Anwar as a member of the party in Rajya Sabha.

The JD(U) had suspended Ali Anwar from the parliamentary party after he attended a meeting of opposition parties convened by Congress President Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi.

Sharad Yadav was recently in Bihar to “understand public mood” after Nitish Kumar snapped his party’s twenty-month alliance with RJD and Congress and formed a government with BJP.

Sharad Yadav during his Bihar tour had also declared that he remains committed to the front which has been formed to prevent BJP from returning to power in 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

JD (U) insiders told this newspaper that the party president and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is expected to expel Sharad during the national executive meeting scheduled to be held later this week on August 19.

Sharad Yadav had earlier opposed Nitish Kumar’s decision to pull out of the Mahagathbandhan calling it a “betrayal of mandate”.

JD (U), which was reduced to two MPs in the 2014 general elections, had formed an alliance with the RJD and Congress party for 2015 assembly elections.

The formation of Mahagathbandhan with secular forces in Bihar helped Nitish Kumar return as Bihar Chief Minister for third consecutive term.