The elections to three seats from Gujarat for the Rajya Sabha have led to a tumult within the Janata Dal (U), with party president Nitish Kumar suspending general secretary Arun Shrivastava from his post after the latter unilaterally appointed a polling agent for the elections.
Mr. Shrivastava said to be close to senior Rajya Sabha MP Sharad Yadav, is uncomfortable with the return of the JD(U) to the NDA fold. The appointment of a polling agent by Mr. Shrivastava, according to a letter issued by party spokesperson and secretary general, K.C. Tyagi, was deemed a serious break in party discipline and led to his suspension.
According to the letter written by Mr. Tyagi, Mr. Shrivastava had conceded to him, in a private conversation, that he had written a letter to the Returning Officer appointed for the polls that he would be appointing a polling agent. “You had not been authorised to do so by the party president. The above act not only amounts to anti-party activity and breach of discipline but also treachery,” Mr. Tyagi wrote to Mr. Shrivastava.
Mr. Yadav, possibly taking a cue from this escalation in tensions within the party over the tie-up with the BJP, has announced a three-day tour for Bihar.
