NEW DELHI: JD(U) on Wednesday showed the door to two of its rebel leaders — vice president Prashant Kishor and general secretary Pavan Varma.
The two leaders had criticised party’s decisions of allying with the BJP outside Bihar and supporting the Citizenship Amendment Bill in Parliament.
A statement by the JD(U) said the two were acting against the party’s decisions and its functioning, which amounted to breach of discipline.
The party also accused Kishor of using insulting words against Bihar CM Nitish Kumar.
“It is imperative that Kishor be removed from the party, so that he doesn’t fall any lower,” the JD(U) said.
Kishor was quick to react and taking a dig at Nitish Kumar tweeted, “Thank you Nitish Kumar. My best wishes to you to retain the chair of Chief Minister of Bihar. God bless you.”
Varma too reacted by wishing Kumar well in his “ambition of being CM of Bihar at any cost”.
Sources claimed that the expulsion will not affect the party organisation.
There is a belief within the party that while Varma was a sophisticated face, Kishor was more of a strategist, which the party hardly needed.
The utterances of Kishor and Varma have come at a time when Nitish Kumar is likely to campaign in Delhi and may share the stage with Union Home Minister Amit Shah at a rally next week.
JD(U) action comes weeks after a series of confrontations.
Recently, the Bihar CM claimed that Kishor had been inducted into the party at the direction of Shah. However, Kishor had refuted the allegations as a “lie”.
Kumar had sought to de-link himself from the strong stand taken by Kishor against the CAA and NRC, saying people are free to remain in the party or leave if they want.
Headed to Bengal?
Political circles in West Bengal are abuzz with rumours that poll strategist Prashant Kishor is likely to join the ruling Trinamool in the state after his expulsion from the JD(U).