The RJD, the key party in the opposition alliance, had announced candidates for 143 seats on October 20. It has positioned Tejashwi Yadav as its chief ministerial candidate (File Photo)
The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) Monday expelled 27 leaders from the party for six years, accusing them of anti-party activities during the ongoing Bihar Assembly elections. The disciplinary action comes days after the Janata Dal (United) similarly removed 16 of its own rebels.
In an official communication dated October 27, RJD state president Mangani Lal Mandal announced the expulsions, stating that the leaders had either contested as independent candidates or campaigned against official party nominees in various constituencies across Bihar. The expelled members include sitting MLAs, several former legislators, and key organisational functionaries at state and district levels.
Among the prominent names on the list is Chhote Lal Rai, the sitting MLA from Parsa constituency in Saran district. Rai, who won the seat in 2020 by defeating JD(U)’s Chandrika Roy with a margin of over 17,000 votes, has been associated with the RJD for years and has also previously represented the constituency under JD(U) banners.
Another notable expulsion is that of Mohammad Kamran, the sitting MLA from Gobindpur in Nawada district. Kamran won the seat in 2020 with a commanding margin of over 33,000 votes, securing nearly half the total votes polled.
The list also includes former legislators such as Ram Prakash Mahto from Katihar, Anil Sahni from Muzaffarpur, Saroj Yadav from Badhara, and Anil Yadav from Narpatganj. Former Legislative Council member Ganesh Bharti from Muzaffarpur has also been shown the door.
Senior organisational leaders have not been spared either. Surendra Prasad Yadav, a state general secretary from Senpur in Saran district, and Anil Chandra Kushwaha, another state general secretary from Vaishali, have been expelled. Notably, Kushwaha had already joined the Bharatiya Janata Party after spending three decades with the RJD.
Other expelled leaders include district-level functionaries such as Ram Sakha Mahto, district general secretary from Cheriya Bariyarpur; Sanjay Rai, district general secretary from Vaishali; Kumar Gaurav, vice-president of the Backward Classes Cell from Darbhanga; and Rajiv Kushwaha, district general secretary from Darbhanga. Women leaders such as Ritu Jaiswal from Parihar and Punam Devi Gupta, women’s cell district president from Motihari, are also on the expulsion list.
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Block-level leaders Ramnresh Paswan, Chiraiya block president from East Champaran, and Ashok Chauhan, Patahi block president from East Champaran, complete the tally of 27 expelled members.
The RJD’s action mirrors a similar crackdown by the JD(U), which expelled 16 leaders this month, including sitting MLA Gopal Mandal from Gopalpur, two former ministers, and several ex-legislators. The JD(U) expulsions were also prompted by rebels contesting as independents or opposing official NDA candidates.
There has been broader discontent within parties over ticket distribution for the Bihar Assembly elections, in both the NDA and the opposition Mahagathbandhan camps.
The Bihar Assembly elections are being held in two phases on November 6 and 11, with results scheduled to be announced on November 14. The RJD, the key party in the opposition alliance, had announced candidates for 143 seats on October 20. It has positioned Tejashwi Yadav as its chief ministerial candidate.
Himanshu Harsh is a Correspondent with The Indian Express, currently leading on-the-ground coverage in Bihar. With a reporting career rooted in the complexities of the National Capital Region (NCR), Himanshu specializes in the critical intersection of law, crime, and civic governance.
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