Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) Expels Spokesperson Ajay Alok, 3 Others From Party

Alok was perceived to be close to Ram Chandra Prasad Singh, the JD(U)’s former national president.

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar. Image used for representational purposes.

(Photo: PTI) 

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s ruling Janata Dal (United) expelled several office bearers, including spokesperson Ajay Alok, from the primary membership of the party on Tuesday, 14 June.

Alok’s order of expulsion, besides Anil Kumar and Vipin Kumar Yadav, both state general secretaries, was passed by state president Umesh Kushwaha.

Alok was perceived to be extremely close to Ram Chandra Prasad Singh, the JD(U)’s former national president, who fell out of favour with Nitish Kumar, the party’s de facto chief.

“Party’s state general secretaries Anil Kumar and Vipin Yadav and spokesperson Ajay Alok are relieved of their posts and suspended from party’s primary membership. Party leader Jitendra Neeraj is also being suspended from the primary membership of the party. This decision has been taken to strengthen the party and maintain discipline in the party,” an order signed by Bihar JD(U) chief Umesh Kushwaha said.

According the statement by JD(U), the party leaders were expelled due to anti-party activities.

Announcing the suspension, Kushwaha said, “They were running a parallel programme contrary to the party’s ideology and were misguiding party workers despite holding important positions,” Hindustan Times reported.

News agency ANI reported that following his expulsion, Ajay Alok said, “Badi der kar di meherbaan aate aate” (The party has taken a long time to take action. It is a good riddance. I thank them).

It is believed that the four leaders were expelled by JD(U) due to their closeness with the party leader and Union Minister RCP Singh. The move comes a few days since the JD(U) refused to renominate Singh, once considered a close confidant of Nitish Kumar, to the Rajya Sabha.

Moreover, Singh was the only minister from the JD(U) quota in the NDA government and is set to retire from Rajya Sabha on 7 July. Once he ceases to be a Member of Parliament, Singh will not be able to continue as a Union Minister for more than six months.

(With inputs from ANI, Hindustan Times, and The Print.)