JD (U) suspends 3 MPS with immediate effect

PATNA: Sending a strong message that it will not brook any matter related to party indiscipline, the JD (U) has suspended three of its MPs - two Lok Sabha members and one Rajya Sabha member with immediate effect.

While the Jehanabad MP Jagdish Sharma and the Gopalganj (SC) MP Purnamasi Ram have invited the wrath of the JD(U) leadership for fielding their kin in the assembly by-elections in defiance of the party diktat, the Rajya Sabha member Ejaz Ali faces action for his anti-party public posturing.

Both Sharma and Ram had vacated their Ghoshi and Bagha(SC) assembly seats respectively following their election to the Lok Sabha from Jehanabad and Gopalganj (SC) seats.

In the by-elections held last month to the 18 vacant assembly seats including Ghoshi and Bagha, Sharma fielded his wife Shanti Sharma as an independent from his traditional Ghoshi seat while Purnamasi���s son Vijay Kumar Ram unsuccessfully contested from Bhagha as a RJD candidate when they could not manage JD (U) tickets for their kin.

In the run up to the by-elections, the chief minister Nitish Kumar had declared that no relative of the JD (U) MP or legislator will be awarded party tickets for the bypolls. It was a principled stand which the party took to oppose dynastic politics.

However, both Sharma and Ram actively lobbied for party tickets for their relatives, but the party leadership would not oblige. But they were in no mood to comply with the party directive and decided to field their kin in the by polls.

This, however, did not go down well with the party leadership which has now decided to suspend them for anti-party activities. When reached for a reaction, Purnamasi said the party���s action was biased and unjust. Even Ejaz Ali who has been openly questioning the JD (U) s alliance with the BJP said the action against him has been taken under the pressure of the BJP and RSS.