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ON THE eve of polling in the Madhubani Lok Sabha constituency in Bihar, the Congress on Sunday suspended former AICC general secretary and Union minister Shakeel Ahmed from the party.
Ahmed is contesting as an Independent candidate from the seat which was allotted to the Vikassheel Insaan Party as part of the seat-sharing arrangement in the Mahagathbandhan in Bihar.
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“Ahmed, ex-MP, has been suspended, with immediate effect from the Congress party for contesting as an Independent candidate from the Madhubani Lok Sabha constituency in Bihar against the party’s decision,” a statement issued by AICC general secretary in charge of administration Motilal Vora said.
The party also suspended Bhavana Jha, an MLA from Bihar’s Benipatti and a supporter of Ahmed, from the party for anti-party activities.
Ahmed had resigned as a spokesperson for the Congress before filing his nomination papers as Independent candidate.
Ahmed, who had represented the Madhubani seat twice in the Lok Sabha, had earlier urged Congress president Rahul Gandhi to either allot the party symbol to him or support him as an Independent candidate.
He had said that the Vikassheel Insaan Party candidate is so weak that it is more like giving the NDA a walk over.
Justifying his decision to contest as an Independent, he had argued that the RJD has fielded an Independent against the Congress candidate in Supaul seat in Bihar and fielded its candidate in Chatra seat in Jharkhand which is allotted to the Congress.
