Union Minister Upendra Kushwaha-led Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP), an NDA constituent, is heading for a split with the party on Friday suspending an MP and an MLA for alleged anti-party activities.
Based on the recommendations of party’s disciplinary committee chief and MP Ram Kumar Sharma, the national council has decided to suspend Lok Sabha member Arun Kumar and MLA Lallan Paswan for indulging in anti-party activities, said a statement by RLSP’s principal general secretary Shivraj Singh.
The RLSP which had contested the 2014 general election with the BJP as an ally has three Lok Sabha MPs in Bihar. They are Upendra Kushwaha (Karakat), Arun Kumar (Jehanabad) and Ram Kumar Sharma (Sitamarhi).
It has two MLAs in the 243-member Bihar Assembly, Lallan Paswan (Chenari) and Sudhansu Sekhar (Harlakhi).
The statement said former national general secretary Binod Kushwaha has also been suspended, besides the two.
A rival faction headed by Mr. Kumar had on August 17 held a meeting in Patna which was attended by Lallan Paswan and others and removed Mr. Upendra Kushwaha and appointed Mr. Kumar as new party chief in his place.
Infighting intensified in the RLSP whose majority leaders had moved away from the JD(U) before Lok Sabha poll in 2014 to form a new party and join hands with the BJP. Now the dissenting faction is accusing Mr. Kushwaha of having links with people allegedly involved in hawala trade.
Reacting to his suspension, Jehanabad MP Arun Kumar told PTI that the suspension was “illegal” and holds no relevance as the party’s national council had on August 17 removed Mr. Upendra Kushwaha as chief of the party.
MLA Lallan Paswan also trashed the suspension saying it was “undemocratic” and the group led by Mr.Upendra Kushwaha did not have the right to take action against them.
Both Mr. Kumar and Mr. Paswan said they would soon approach the Election Commission to recognise them as real RLSP.
They said they would stay in NDA.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi is our leader. We fought election in his name so we would continue to work under his leadership in the NDA,” Mr. Kumar said.
While Mr. Paswan has dissented, the second MLA Sudhansu Sekhar said he would remain with Mr. Upendra Kushwaha.
Mr. Sekhar was elected from Harlakhi seat after a by-poll following the death of his father Basant Kushwaha who died a day before the new legislators were to take oath in November last year. PTI
