The Congress on Sunday suspended former union minister Shakeel Ahmed for filing his nomination papers as an independent Lok Sabha candidate from Madhubani Lok Sabha seat in Bihar.
Mr Ahmed was a minister of State for Home Affairs in Dr. Manmohan Singh's government and was the party's in charge for Delhi, Punjab and Haryana.
The former minister, who had represented Madhubani in 1998 and 2004 Lok Sabha polls, had filed his nomination papers in two sets - as a Congress candidate and as an Independent.
The Congress leader went ahead after the seat was allotted to Badri Kumar Purbey, a former RJD leader, who has now floated the Vikassheel Insaan Party.
"Mr Shakeel 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," the party said in a release.
Congress MLA, Bhavana Jha, from the Benipatti town in Bihar, has also been suspended from Congress for anti-party activities, the statement added.