Patna : Janata Dal (United) has expelled 11 party members for "working against the party's ideology" ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections. The expelled members, including four-time MLA from the Jamalpur Assembly constituency and former Bihar Rural Works Department (RWD) Minister Shailesh Kumar, have also been suspended from the party's primary membership.
"As per the direction, you are expelled from the party by suspending you from the primary membership of the party with immediate effect for being involved in anti-party activities and working against the party's ideology and organisational conduct in the Bihar Legislative Assembly General Elections 2025," the statement issued by JD(U) state general secretary Chandan Kumar Singh read.
Other leaders who have been expelled for "anti-party activities" ahead of the impending polls include MLAs Shyam Bahadur Singh and Sudharshan Kumar, former MLAs Amar Kumar Singh and Ashma Parveen, and former MLCs Ranvijay Singh and Sanjay Prasad.
"The following members are hereby expelled due to their involvement in party-anti conduct and activities in the Bihar Legislative Assembly Elections 2025. This order shall take effect immediately," JD(U) posted on X.
The 2025 Bihar Assembly elections are set to witness a direct contest between the NDA and the Mahagathbandhan.
The NDA comprises the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), JD (U), Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular), and Rashtriya Lok Morcha.The Mahagathbandhan, led by the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), includes Congress, Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation led by Dipankar Bhattacharya, Communist Party of India (CPI), Communist Party of India (Marxist), and Mukesh Sahani's Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP).
Additionally, Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj Party has announced that it will contest all 243 Assembly seats in the state. The Bihar Assembly elections will be held in two phases on November 6 and 11, and the counting of votes is scheduled for November 14.