Patna: In a decisive move just weeks before Bihar heads to the polls, the Janata Dal (United) on Saturday expelled 11 senior leaders, including a former cabinet minister, accusing them of working against the party’s interests and violating its core principles.
The announcement was made through an official statement issued by JD(U) state general secretary Chandan Kumar Singh, who confirmed that the disciplinary action followed a series of internal reviews. “All 11 leaders were found involved in activities detrimental to the party’s ideology and unity,” the statement said.
Prominent Names Dropped
Among those expelled are former minister Shailesh Kumar, ex-MLAs Shyam Bahadur Singh and Sudharshan Kumar, along with former members of the Legislative Council Sanjay Prasad and Ranvijay Singh. Party insiders said the group had been accused of supporting rebel candidates and undermining the official nominees of both JD(U) and its NDA alliance partners.
“These individuals had repeatedly disregarded party discipline and were campaigning against our chosen candidates. Such conduct cannot be tolerated in an election of this scale,” said a senior JD(U) functionary, requesting anonymity.
Party Discipline Before the Ballot
The move comes as Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s party prepares for a tough electoral battle in Bihar, where voting for the 243 assembly seats will take place in two phases — November 6 and November 11 — with results to be declared on November 14.
Observers believe the decision is an attempt by the JD(U) leadership to send a strong message to dissidents and reinforce party cohesion ahead of the polls. “Nitish Kumar has a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to indiscipline,” said a Patna-based political analyst. “The expulsions reflect an effort to project unity within the NDA.”
