JD(U) suspends 21 leaders for anti-party activities

The suspension came couple of days after Sharad Yadav was sacked as the Rajya Sabha leader by the JD(U) after he spoke against party chief Nitish Kumar for stitching an alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The dispute in the JD(U) was evident after Nitish Kumar went on to forge an alliance with the BJP late last month, hours after breaking the grand alliance with Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Congress.

Yadav was often seen on television camera to disapprove Nitish's decision of forming an alliance with the BJP.

He even went on to say that the breaking up with the RJD and joining the BJP were decisions taken solely by the party chief.

In 2015, the grand alliance formed by JD(U), RJD and Congress shattered the BJP's dream of coming to power in Bihar.

Though the RJD was the single largest party in the state after the 2015 poll, the JD(U) had no problem to form the government with the BJP as both the parties together had the required number of seats.

Nitish broke the grand alliance over the alleged corruption cases against RJD chief Lalu Prasad and his son Tejashwi Yadav. Tejashwi was also the second man in Nitish's cabinet in the then Bihar government.

The dispute in Nitish's party was more evident in recently concluded Gujarat Rajya Sabha election as JD(U) MLA Chotubhai Vasava said he has cast his vote in favour of Congress' Ahmed Patel.

The sacking of Sharad Yadav and suspension of 21 leaders has once again raised the political debates over the possible rift in the JD(U).