Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar really faces hard times these days. While his rivals have focused their full attention on intensive poll campaigns to win the maximum support of the votes, Kumar is battling rebellion within his ruling Janata Dal (United).
Late on Saturday evening, the JD-U leadership suspended three women lawmakers after finding them constantly indulging in anti-party activities and openly campaigning for the rival party candidates. They include Renu Kushwaha — the former industry minister who resigned from the Nitish Kumar government last month — Poonam Devi and Sujata Devi.
“We had no option left. They (lawmakers) just refused to listen to us and remained indulged in anti-party activities,” JD-U’s chief spokesman KC Tyagi told the media today.
Kushwaha was found openly campaigning for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate and her husband Vijay Singh Kushwaha, who is contesting against JD-U candidate and party national president Sharad Yadav, from Madhepura. She was even attending the BJP meetings routinely and seeking votes for the BJP candidate. She had resigned from the cabinet shortly after the BJP gave ticket to her husband.
Similarly, another JD-U lawmaker Poonam Devi, wife of Bihar muscleman Ranbir Yadav, was regularly campaigning for her young sister Krishna Yadav who has been fielded from Khagaria Lok Sabha seat, against the party’s line. JD-U has fielded Dinesh Chandra Yadav from this north Bihar’s seat but she was campaigning for the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) candidate with her family despite being in Kumar’s party.
Another JD-U lawmaker Sujata Devi too was campaigning for the BJP candidate Kameshwar Chaupal who has been fielded from Supaul seat. Devi who represents Pipra (under Supaul parliamentary constituency) is the wife of sitting JD-U parliamentarian Vishwa Mohan Kumar. But as he was denied ticket this time, he joined the BJP in protest. Devi is now supporting her husband and campaigning for the BJP.
