Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM), a smaller partner of the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Bihar, has suspended its general secretary Ram Pukar Sinha, who is contesting the Bihar Legislative Council election from the Saran Teacher seat, where JD(U)’s Anand Pushkar is the joint NDA candidate.
However, there is no word on three of the four RLM MLAs — Alok Singh, Rameshwar Mahto and Madhav Anand — who backed Sinha and also joined him during his nomination along with other local party leaders. “RLM state general secretary Ram Pukar Sinha is suspended from the party for six years. Party chief Upendra Kushwaha has refrained from going to Saran. Besides RLM, another NDA partner, the JD(U), is witnessing the intra-party feud between its MLA from Mokama, Anant Singh, and fourth-time MLC aspirant Neeraj Kumar from the Patna graduates’ seat. The JD(U) has thus far demured from taking any action against Singh who has openly backed Neeraj’s rival Anuj Singh, who is a Jan Suraaj Party nominee. The JD(U) has however deployed senior leaders to canvass for Neeraj. Deputy CM Vijay Kumar Choudhary, Health minister Nishant Kumar, BJP state chief Sanjay Saraogi, JD(U) state chief Umesh Kushwaha and several others would campaign for Neeraj .
The party also underlined that his candidature against the official NDA candidate “comes under the ambit of indiscipline, which the party has taken seriously as it has tarnished its image”. On October 5, when the RLM rebel filed his nomination, party chief Upendra Kushwaha had also described it as “indiscipline” and said that candidates from the BJP and the JD(U) are only in the fray for the eight council seats and the RLM is backing them strongly. However, the three RLM MLAs are said to be still firmly behind Sinha and that could lead to more fissures within the party in the run up to elections. Madhav Anand is in Delhi and said that party’s state chief will speak to the media on this.
He is contesting as an independent candidate from Saran,” said the notification issued by party’s state chief Prashant Pankaj on Monday.
