Patna: A senior Congress leader who was acting as the Bihar state unit president for the past four years was thrown out unceremoniously from his post following allegations that he was trying to split the party and join the ruling Janata Dal United (JD-U) of chief minister Nitish Kumar.

Ashok Chaudhary who also worked as the education minister in the erstwhile Grand Alliance government was removed from his post on Tuesday evening by the central Congress leadership which didn’t even inform the former about his removal.

He was replaced by another party leader, Kaukab Quadari, who was serving as the party vice-president in the state.

“Congress president Sonia Gandhi has relieved Ashok Chaudhary from the post of Bihar state Congress chief with immediate effect,” AICC general secretary Janardan Dwivedi told the local media,

The sword was hanging over his head ever since he was accused of secretly initiating a signature campaign among the party lawmaker to defect the Congress and join the ruling JD-U. As per reports, Chaudhary had even got the consent of at least 14 lawmakers in his mission.

Reports said Chaudhary was about to give a concrete shape to his plan when the central party leadership came to know about it.

In a quick action, the party leadership rushed senior party leaders, Jyotiraditya Scindia and then Ghulam Nabi Azad to Patna tackle the rebellion but this failed to work.

Subsequently, all the 27 party lawmakers were called to Delhi to meet Congress chief Sonia Gandhi. As this too failed to leave its impact, and all the lawmakers were then again called to Delhi by party vice-president Rahul Gandhi who later held one-on-one meetings with each party lawmaker.

It was during this interaction that Rahul came to know that Chaudhary was trying to split the party on the very “pretext that any further continuance of Congress’ alliance with the Lalu Prasad Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) could harm the party’s prospects”.

As per reports, Chaudhary began instigating the party lawmakers to defect the party and join the JD-U shortly after Nitish Kumar dumped the Grand Alliance to form government with the BJP in July last.

Shortly after being removed, Chaudhary revolted against the party leadership and launched massive attacks on party’s Bihar in-charge Dr C.P. Joshi, accusing him of destroying the organisation.

“It was due to this man that the Congress lost elections in Assam, Manipur and Bengal and now he is trying to destroy the party base in Bihar too,” Chaudhary charged. He however asserted he was not going to leave the party.

He also said the Nitish Kumar was far better than RJD chief Lalu Prasad. “Just ask this question to any child who one is better — Lalu or Nitish, and you will get the instant reply,” asked Chaudhary.

“Nitish Kumar is not a bad man. If yes, then why was he projected as the chief ministerial candidate in the last 2015 state polls?” asked Chaudhary.