Bashist Narayan Singh said indiscipline would no longer be tolerated.

Party National General Secretary and MLA Satish Kumar said the entire state unit stood solidly behind Nitish Kumar and those showing disrespect and challenging his authority would be thrown out of the party.

"Samata party is synonymous with Nitish Kumar and those opposed to this are free to quit," he said.

Nitish Kumar has endorsed their action.

Neither Sinha nor the two MLAs loyal to Fernandes attended the executive meeting, which those present claimed was attended by almost all members, including all district unit chiefs.

Conspicuous by his absence was the legislature party leader Uma Shanker Singh, who had on Saturday announced that he would not attend the legislature party meet dubbing it as unauthorised.

Only the legislature party leader is competent to convene a meeting of legislators, he said accusing Bashist Narain Singh of overstepping his authority.

Meanwhile, reacting sharply to the state executive committee's action seeking expulsion of the two MPs and three legislators, P K Sinha asserted the meeting lacked legal and constitutional validity as Bashist Narain Singh, appointed convener to oversee organisational elections, had no authority to call meetings of important organisational bodies.

Sinha, who had filed a petition before the Election Commission against the dissolution of the executive committee by MPs loyal to Kumar, said he would apprise the Commission of the unauthorised and illegal action of the pro-Kumar faction in adopting a resolution seeking expulsion of senior MPs and MLAs.

Bhai Birendra, MLA, who also figures among those sought to be expelled, echoed similar views saying Sunday's meeting was not of the Samata Party executive but of the 'gang supporting Kumar'.

Meanwhile, the pro-Fernandes faction is holding a rally of party workers at Darbhanga in north Bihar, which they claimed was part of their endeavour to restore inner-party democracy in the face of the dictatorial handling of the organisation by Kumar.

The meeting is being attended by all the five leaders whom today's executive meet has sought to expel.

With inputs from PTI