The JD(U) on Wednesday suspended two Lok Sabha MPs, Jai Narayan Nishad and Purnmasi Ram, from the party for six years on charge of engaging in anti-party activities.
Both the leaders were for sometime making statements against party leaders, including Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar.
“Party president Sharad Yadav has suspended Gopalganj MP Purnmasi Ram amd Muzaffarpur MP Jai Narayan Nishad. Both were hobnobbing with communal and corrupt forces. Therefore, they have been suspended with immediate effect from the party for six years,” party general secretary K.C. Tyagi said.
The letter of suspension issued by the party says that Mr Yadav suspended both the MPs using the power vested in him under Section 20 of the party constitution.
Mr Ram had on Tuesday made certain remarks against Mr Nitish Kumar in connection with the fodder scam.
Party sources said that Mr Nishad had few days back organised a (Narendra) “Modi yagna”, supporting the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate’s bid for power.
Mr Ram has not spelt out his future plans clearly but he had met a close aide of Mr Modi a few weeks back.
While Mr Nishad hails from the OBC community of fishermen, Mr Ram is a dalit leader and the BJP has been courting them as it seeks to expand its vote base in Bihar ahead of the Lok Sabha elections which it will fight on its own after its split with the JD(U) in June.
Both leaders have a history of switching political loyalty. Mr Nishad was in Lalu Prasad Yadav’s RJD and BJP earlier before joining the JD(U) while Mr Ram was once a minister in Mr Yadav’s Cabinet in Bihar.