RJD Expels 27 Leaders for Anti-Party Activities; BJP Suspends Six, Including Sitting MLA, Amid Bihar Election Turmoil

Patna: In a major disciplinary crackdown ahead of the Bihar Assembly Elections 2025, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has expelled 27 party leaders for anti-party activities, including contesting against the party’s official candidates. The expelled leaders have been removed from all party positions and stripped of their primary membership for a period of six years, according to a notification issued by RJD State President Manganilal Mandal on Monday evening.

RJD spokesperson Chittaranjan Gagan confirmed the decision, stating, “As per the notification issued by the state party president, the leaders found guilty of contesting against official RJD candidates have been expelled from the party’s primary membership for six years.”

Among those expelled are MLAs Chhotelal Yadav and Mohammad Kamran, former MLAs Ramprakash Mahato, Anil Sahni, Saroj Yadav, and Anil Yadav, former MLC Ganesh Bharti, and Ritu Jaiswal, state president of the RJD women’s cell. Other prominent leaders expelled include Akshay Lal Yadav, Ramsakha Mahato, Avnish Kumar, Bhagat Yadav, Mukesh Yadav, Sanjay Rai, Kumar Gaurav, Rajiv Kushwaha, Mahesh P. Gupta, Vakil Prasad Yadav, Poonam Devi, Subodh Yadav, Surendra P. Yadav, Neeraj Rai, Anil Chandra Kushwaha, Ajit Yadav, Moti Yadav, Ramnaresh Paswan, and Ashok Chauhan.

Gagan warned that legal action would be taken against any independent candidates “using the names or photographs of RJD leaders to mislead voters.”

Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has also initiated disciplinary action against six leaders, including a sitting MLA, for similar anti-party behavior. The Bihar BJP unit confirmed the suspension of Kahalgaon MLA Pawan Yadav, along with Sunny Yadav, Shravan Kushwaha, Uttam Choudhary, Maruti Nandan Maruti, and Pawan Choudhary, for working against the party’s officially declared candidates.

A senior BJP leader stated, “All the suspended leaders were found to be acting against the NDA’s official candidates and the party’s core principles.”

MLA Pawan Yadav, who is contesting the Kahalgaon seat as an Independent after being denied a BJP ticket, termed the decision “arbitrary.”

Party insiders view the expulsions and suspensions as part of a damage-control strategy aimed at maintaining unity within the NDA alliance, which comprises the BJP, JD(U), and LJP (Ram Vilas). The BJP and JD(U) are contesting 101 seats each, while LJP (RV) has fielded 29 candidates in the upcoming elections.