JD(U), BJP yet to take action against leaders who joined victory procession of rebel in Bihar

PATNA: JD(U) Bihar unit president Vashishtha Narain Singh on Friday said that action would be taken against the party leaders who worked against the NDA’s official candidates in the by-election. However, insiders in the ruling alliance say leadership of both the BJP and the JD(U) was a bit hesitant in taking action against those rebels who openly participated in the victory procession of the BJP rebel Karanjeet Singh alias Vyas Singh, apprehending counter reaction among the grass root workers in Siwan district.
Defying the BJP’s top leadership’s diktat, Karanjeet not only contested against the JD(U) candidate and strongman Ajay Singh (who was also the NDA’s official nominee) but also defeated him in Daraunda assembly seat, which was vacated after election of Ajay’s wife and former JD(U) MLA Kavita Singh to the Lok Sabha in the last general election.
Moreover, when Karanjeet took out his victory procession on Thursday evening, the JD(U)’s Barharia MLA Shyam Bahadur Singh and the BJP’s former MP from Siwan Om Prakash Yadav and their hundreds of supporters not openly participated in the rebel’s procession but also played ‘abir’ with the newly elected MLA. In fact, the Barharia MLA rode an elephant to reach Daraunda to congratulate the rebel leader.
Some vernacular dailies even carried the pictures of the JD(U) MLA and his supporters joining the rebel leader’s victory procession.
“Thought the JD(U)’s state leadership has decided to review the reasons behind defeat of the party candidates in three of the four assembly constituencies it contested, we do not foresee any punitive action against the Barharia MLA because he is very popular in his constituency and any action against him may annoy the workers at grass root level,” a senior party leader told TOI on condition of anonymity.
“Had it been other leader than Shyam Bahadur, the party would have issued a showcause notice on the day of defiance. In December 2018, the same MLA had resigned from the party’s primary membership, alleging his voice was not being heard by those in power. He had virtually raised an accusing figure on the style of functioning of the state government, but no action was taken against this MLA,” pointed out another JD(U) leader who didn’t want to be identified fearing action from the party.
The JD(U) state president, however, said report had been sought on the by-election from the concerned district units and action would be taken based on inputs from the districts.
In BJP too, the party leadership is not in a haste in taking action against those leaders and workers who openly worked against the NDA’s official nominee and ensure victory of Karanjeet.
“Former MP Om Prakash Yadav had been raising his voice against gangster Shahabuddin. How the BJP leadership can expect from him to support another gangster in election? Yadav had openly said he would not support a candidate like Ajay Singh who is facing several criminal cases. Majority of the BJP workers in Siwan supports Yadav’s view,” said a BJP leader from Siwan district.
Contacted for reaction, the state BJP spokesperson Nikhil Anand said, “The state BJP President Dr Sanjay Jaisawal ji campaigned in by- election areas for 10 days including Daraunda. Winning and losing depends on many local factors but BJP unitedly campaigned for the official NDA candidates and there is no doubt that united NDA will sweep 2020 polls. Party will surely assess the situation and factors involved in the by-election. We will review the reasons behind defeat of NDA candidates.”
Anand avoided to make any comment on the party’s plan to take action against the rebels including Yadav. He said the BJP had already expelled Karanjeet and one more leader (Sharda Raman Dwivedi) from the primary membership of the party for a period of six years.