Bihar Assembly Elections: Nitish Kumar Expels 11 JDU Rebels Contesting Independently Ahead Of Polls

Patna: Ahead of the Bihar Assembly Elections, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, also the Janata Dal United (JDU) chief, has expelled 11 rebel leaders from the party. Nitish Kumar expelled the rebel leaders, taking disciplinary action against them, sending a strong signal ahead of the Assembly polls. The expelled leaders, including former minister Shailesh Kumar and former MLA Sanjay Prasad, have been accused of acting against the party's ideology, discipline, and organisational conduct.

JDU State General Secretary Chandan Kumar Singh stated that the decision was taken to uphold the party's integrity and maintain internal discipline. The expelled leaders had been contesting as independents in various constituencies, defying the party's official candidates after they were denied the party ticket in the upcoming elections. 

The list of expelled leaders includes prominent names such as Shailesh Kumar, contesting from Jamalpur, Shyam Bahadur Singh, contesting from Barharia, and Sanjay Prasad, contesting from Chakai. Others include former MLC Ranvijay Singh, Vivek Shukla, Asma Parveen, Sudarshan Kumar, Luv Kumar, Amar Kumar Singh, Asha Suman, and Divyanshu Bhardwaj, contesting from various seats.

Amidst the political heat in the state, Nitish Kumar's decisive move has surprised many, given the proximity of the elections. Voting for the first phase is scheduled to take place on November 6th, and the Bihar Chief Minister's strict stance is seen as a bid to consolidate his party's position and prevent internal dissent from affecting its performance.

The political analysts believe that Nitish Kumar's action will help the JDU project a united front and reinforce his leadership. 

The expelled leaders, now contesting as independents, may face an uphill task in winning the trust of voters without the JDU's backing. Their decision to defy the party has led to their ousting, and they will now have to rely on their individual strengths to secure victory.

There was no immediate response from the expelled rebel leaders regarding the party's action against them.