Cracking down on rebels, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday suspended its nine leaders for six years. The leaders were expelled for filing nomination against National Democratic Alliance candidates in the Bihar Assembly Election 2020.
The BJP is contesting the Bihar polls, due to start from October 28, in alliance with Janata Dal (United) and two other smaller parties. As part of the alliance, the BJP will field candidates on 115 seats, the JD(U) has kept 110 seats for itself, while the Vikasshil Insaan Party and the Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) have been given 11 and seven seats, respectively. NDA partner at the Centre, Lok Janshakti Party, has decided to go solo for the Bihar polls.
The leaders suspended by the BJP include
1. Rajendra Singh, Sasaram
2. Rameshwar Chaurasia, Sasaram
3. Usha Vidyarthi, Patna rural
4. Ravindra Yadav, Jhajha
5. Shweta Singh, Bhojpur
6. Indu Kashyap, Jehanabad
7. Anil Kumar Patna rural
8. Mrinal Shekhar
9. Ajay Pratap, Jamui
— BJP Bihar (@BJP4Bihar) October 12, 2020
“You are contesting elections against NDA candidate, which maligns NDA as well as the party’s image. This is against the party principles. Thus, you are suspended for six years for indulging in anti-party activities,” a BJP notice signed by state party chief Sanjay Jaiswal said.
The BJP’s decision comes in the backdrop of Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi warning party leaders not to fight elections against NDA candidates or else they would be sacked from the party.
Notably, all these nine party leaders were ticket hopefuls. But after they were refused the ticket, they quit the party and are in the poll fray against NDA candidates from other political parties.
Rajendra Singh, Usha Vidyarthi and Rameshwar Chaurasia had quit the party and are fighting the election against the NDA candidate on a Lok Janshakti Party ticket.
Ajay Pratap has joined the Rashtriya Lok Samta Party and is contesting elections against the NDA.
Elections to the 243-seat Bihar assembly will be held in three phases–October 28, November 3, and 7, and the counting of votes will take place on November 10.