JD(V) is finished’: Anant Slams party leadership
Expelled MLA strikes defiant note; JD(U) defends punishing indiscipline
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Patna — A day after expulsion, Janata Dal (United), Mokama MLA Anant Singh remained defiant and said that some leaders of the party are taking advantage of "weakened party supremo Nitish Kumar", adding that the party was heading towards political doom.
Singh, along with his wife Neelam Devi, a former legislator, was on Saturday evicted from the party for six years over "antiparty" activities as he continued to support a rival candidate against his own party's nominee in the legislative council elections. "The party belonged to Nitish ji. Now that he is no longer there (in an active role), what is left of the party? Who among those in the leadership, the ones who expelled me, has actually contributed anything?" he told reporters. "Now, they will be reduced to 10-12 seats... Why will] go anywhere? ! will simply build my own party. The JD(U) is finished. Once they hold elections, everything will become clear," he said.
The JD(U) has also urged the Bihar Assembly Speaker Prem Kumar to end Singh's membership of the House with immediate effect, though that would require some processes to be fol8a,
OLY Ay A + q y < ¥ / ' ; v3 © . 4 = 4 BY > A Ne \ Lt b ih Expelled JD(U) leader Anant Singh during an interaction with media at his residence in Patna on Sunday. SANTOSH KUMAR/HT lowed and could take time. dition will face the reality when The JD(U) on Sunday reiterthe party will struggle to cobble ated that it had acted against the up even 10 seats in the state," indiscipline shown by Singh. said Singh. He rejected the "Nobody can be above party discharge that he indulged in any cipline. The party was keeping —_anti-party activity and said that watch over his (Singh's) activihe was ready face any conseties for long and the party has quences. "My fight was only taken the decision (to expel) him against party nominee Neeraj after a lot of thought," said Rajiv Kumar, as he had been working Ranjan, the JD(U) spokesperson. against me for years and the Anant Singh, however, said _ party had done nothing to rein in that whatever was happening in him," he said. the party was without the knowlAmid the tumult over Singh's edge and consent of the party expulsion in the political circles, supremo. "Nitish jiis notina — senior party leader and Union sound state of mind and thus minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh can'tcomprehend the affairs of alias Lalan Singh on Sunday the party properly. [have nothcalled on chief minister Samrat ing against him. But those who — Choudhary and Nitish Kumar. are making most of his poor conThe Union minister was
a truce. He is said to be close to Singh and thus his meetings with the CM and Nitish are being seen as "with purpose".
Meanwhile, other outcomes of Singh's expulsion are also being speculated. Some political pundits feel that he might float his own party and contest the bypoll from Mokama or push his. son in the electoral fray should his disqualification from the House is done.
RJD MP from Buxar, Sudhakar Singh, said that nothing would go wrong for Anant Singh, as he is a powerful leader and would stay in politics. "He is not with us. There are rumours of his joining Jan Suraaj. He has people's support. But yes, the future of JD(U) certainly looks bleak," he added. The RJD, on the other, hand posted a remark, saying that traitors are receiving the punishment for their deeds", in an oblique reference to Anant Singh's wife Neelima Singh who had switched sides to extend support to the Nitish government during the 2024 confidence vote.
Some political observers saw Singh's expulsion as the JD(U) taking rebellion and indiscipline in the part seriously ahead of the Council poll result on October 27.
About the Author
Arun Kumar is a veteran journalist and Associate Editor with Hindustan Times, based in Patna. For more than three and a half decades, his reporting has chronicled Bihar's complex political landscape, university and educational reforms, landmark judicial rulings of the Patna High Court, administrative governance, and social shifts across the state. Known for deep investigative reporting and source-grounded accountability journalism, he is a recipient of the prestigious K.C. Kulish Journalism Award and the Keshav Bhatt Journalism Award, and is an LDM Fellow.