JD-U suspends two MPs over anti-party activities

Janata Dal-United 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 told PTI.

The letter of suspension issued by the party says that Yadav suspended both the MPs using the power vested in him under section 20 of the party constitution.

Ram had on Tuesday made certain remarks against Nitish Kumar in connection with the fodder scam.

Party sources said that Nishad had few days back organised a (Narendra) 'Modi yagna', supporting the BJP's prime ministerial candidate's bid for power.

Ram has not spelt out his future plans clearly but he had met a close aide of Modi a few weeks back.

While Nishad hails from the OBC community of fishermen, Ram is a Dalit leader and BJP has been courting them as it seeks to expand its vote base in Bihar ahead of Lok Sabha elections which it will fight on its own after its split with JD-U in June.

Both leaders have a history of switching political loyalty. Nishad was in Lalu Prasad's RJD and BJP earlier before joining JD-U while Ram was once a minister in Prasad's cabinet in Bihar.

Image: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar