After JD(U), RJD expels several party leaders for ‘anti-party’ activities during poll

In the poll-bound Bihar, the political parties have started expelling rebel party leaders for their “anti-party activities”.

After ruling party JD(U), now Opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal has expelled over two dozen party leaders, including party’s State women cell president over their “anti-party activities” in elections.

Taking action on rebel party leaders RJD expelled as many 27 party leaders on October 27, including party’s State president for women Ritu Jaiswal for their “anti-party” activities in election time.

Denied ticket Ms Jaiswal is contesting Assembly election from Parihar constituency of Sitamarhi district as an Independent candidate. In last 2024 Parliamentary elections Ms Jaiswal was party’s candidate from Sheohar Lok Sabha constituency which she lost against NDA candidate Lovely Anand.

But, this time RJD fielded Smita Purbey, daughter-in-law of senior party leader Ram Chandra Purbey from Parihar Assembly seat from where Ms Jaiswal wanted to contest and later she filed her nomination papers as an Independent candidate from the seat.

The party has also expelled former party MLA from Parsa constituency in Saran district, Chhote Lal Rai. All the party leaders have been expelled from “primary membership of the party for six years”. Former MLAs Ram Prakash Mahto, Anil Sahani, Saroj Yadav, Anil Yadav and others have been expelled from RJD for six years.

“In the 2025 Assembly elections these party leaders either have been working against party’s official candidate or contesting poll as an Independent candidate. The party has expelled them for six years from their primary membership of the party on charges of their uncalled for conduct against party’s official candidate”, RJD spokesperson Mrityunjay Tiwari told The Hindu.

Earlier on October 25-26, ruling JD(U) had expelled 16 leaders, including a sitting MLA and two former Ministers for their “anti-party activities”. Denied tickets some of the expelled party leaders have filed their nomination papers in the upcoming Assembly poll as Independent candidates.

Among those who have been expelled are Narendra Niraj alias Gopal Mandal who is party’s sitting MLA from Gopalpur constituency in Bhagalpur. Amid buzz that he was denied party ticket, Mr Mandal recently had hit headlines by staging a sit-in outside official residence of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in Patna. The party (JD-U), later, named Bulo Mandal, an RJD turncoat, from the seat but Gopal Mandal too filed his nomination papers as an Independent candidate from there.

Besides Mr. Mandal, others leaders who were expelled from JD-U were Shyam Singh, former Minister Himraj Singh, Maheshwar Prasad Yadav, Prabhat Kiran, former Minister Shailesh Kumar, former MLAs Shyam Bahadur Singh and Sudharshan Kumar and ex-MLCs Sanjay Prasad and Ranvijay Singh and others.