Bihar polls: JD(U) MLC suspended for campaigning in favour of daughter contesting on LJP ticket

PATNA: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JD (U) on Wednesday suspended one of its legislators for campaigning in favour of his daughter who is contesting assembly polls on the ticket of Chirag Paswan's LJP, which has raised a banner of revolt against the ruling party.

According to a communication issued by JD(U) state general secretary Naveen Kumar Arya, the MLC Dinesh Kumar Singh has been suspended from the partys membership with immediate effect and asked to show cause within 10 days.

The communication has noted that Singh had been canvassing in favour of daughter who is the LJP candidate from Gaighat, in Muzaffarpur district, though the party had fielded Maheshwar Prasad Yadav from the very seat who was the "authorised NDA candidate".

Gaighat constituency will see voting in the third and final phase on November 7.

Singh has also been accused of having put pressure on local workers and office bearers of the JD(U) to help his daughter Komal in the assembly elections and "threatened by anti-social elements" with dire consequences if they failed to do so.

When contacted by the PTI in Muzaffarpur, the JD(U) MLC refused to make any comment in this connection.

Interestingly, Singhs wife Veena Devi is the LJPs MP from Vaishali, the seat which she won in the Lok Sabha polls last year when the party, then headed by late Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan, had contested in alliance with the JD(U) and the BJP.

The deceased party founders son Chirag, who has taken over the mantle, pulled out of the NDA nearly a month ago, contending that there was a strong anti-incumbency sentiment against the JD(U) though he maintained that he was fully loyal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and vowed to help installation of a "government headed by the BJP".

The BJP has since distanced itself from the stance adopted by the LJP chief which, the ruling alliance fears, may end up benefiting the opposition Grand Alliance helmed by the RJD.