Ahead of Bihar elections 2025, JDU has expelled 11 leaders for anti-party activities. These leaders were preparing to contest the elections as independent. However, no action was taken against Gopal Mandal who showed loyalty to Nitish Kumar.
Patna: Just before the Bihar Assembly elections 2025, Janata Dal United (JDU) has taken strict action and expelled 11 leaders from the primary membership of the party on charges of anti-party activities. Those on whom this punishment has fallen include many experienced and big faces, like former minister Shailesh Kumar, former legislative councilor Sanjay Prasad, and former MLA Shyam Bahadur Singh.
The party clarified that these leaders were working against the ideology of the party during the upcoming assembly elections and were creating problems for the party candidates by contesting as independent candidates. Through this action, the JDU high command has given a clear message of not tolerating indiscipline.
Which 11 leaders were expelled by JDU?
The 11 expelled leaders include many big and experienced names, who have a good support base in their respective areas. But the party believes that these leaders, upset over not getting tickets, had decided to contest the elections as independents or oppose the official candidates of the party.
- Shailesh Kumar (former minister)
- Sanjay Prasad (former legislative councilor)
- Shyam Bahadur Singh (former MLA)
- Ranvijay Singh (former Legislative Councilor)
- Sudarshan Kumar (former MLA)
- Amar Kumar Singh (former MLA)
- Aasman Parveen (candidate from Mahua seat in the last election)
- Luv Kumar
- Asha Suman
- Divyanshu Bhardwaj
- Vivek Shukla
Why did Gopal Mandal get ‘amnesty’?
The biggest topic of discussion in this mass expulsion action of JDU is the absence of the name of Gopalpur MLA Gopal Mandal. Whereas Gopal Mandal is also among those leaders whose ticket was cut and who has filed nomination as an independent candidate.
Gopal Mandal had directly made serious allegations against senior JDU leaders for not getting the ticket, in which he accused them of not allowing backward caste leaders to move forward. Despite this, his non-expulsion reflects Nitish Kumar’s ‘soft corner’ in political circles.
Did ‘Nitish Prem’ work?
Gopal Mandal took special care in his statements even after the ticket was issued. He may have criticized senior party leaders, but never made any comment against Nitish Kumar. On the contrary, he repeatedly claimed that he would support Nitish Kumar even if he wins the elections and kept praising his work.
Political analysts believe that while other expelled leaders rebelled outright citing Nitish Kumar’s health and the end of the party, Gopal Mandal decided to contest only as an ‘independent’ but maintained his loyalty towards Nitish Kumar. This is the reason why despite the punishment falling on 11 leaders, the party leadership has shown leniency against Gopal Mandal.