The disciplinary committee of Bihar’s ruling JD(U) has started a month-long formal hearing of complaints of anti-party activities against hundreds of leaders and functionaries from across the state to further its stated aim of strengthening the state party unit by taking action against disloyal leaders.
Armed with complaints of anti-party activities during the 2010 Assembly polls against about 500 leaders of various ranks, including some MPs and MLAs, a three-member disciplinary committee sought written replies from over 60 district-level leaders and prominent workers from the Magadh division at the party headquarters in Patna on Wednesday.
These leaders face charges of stubbornly disassociating themselves from the party’s campaigns for the Assembly polls and, in some cases, even fielding their kin on tickets from rival parties, thus trying to jeopardise the official JD(U) candidates.
Following a pre-designed procedure, committee members Chandreshwar Prasad Chandravanshi and Janardan Singh read out the complaints to the district-level leaders and heard their replies one by one from 11 am to 4 pm.
The same process continued on Thursday, but sources said decisions about disciplinary action would be taken next month in consultation with committee chairman and MLA Gyanendra Singh Gyanu. The hearings would end on February 14.
MPs, MLAs and MLCs facing allegations of anti-party activities have been summoned to the hearing on January 25, 27, 28 and 29. Party sources said rebel MPs Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan and Upendra Kushwaha have been called on January 27.