JDU has taken major disciplinary action before Bihar elections 2025. A total of 16 rebel leaders, including MLA Gopal Mandal, have been expelled within 48 hours on charges of anti-party activities. This step has been taken to maintain discipline.
Patna: Just before the Bihar Assembly elections 2025, Janata Dal United (JDU) has taken the biggest and most drastic action so far to maintain discipline within the party. After expelling 11 leaders yesterday for being involved in ‘anti-party activities’, JDU has released the second and final list today. In this list, five more prominent leaders including Dabang MLA Narendra Kumar Neeraj alias Gopal Mandal have been shown the way out of the primary membership of the party. Thus, JDU has arrested a total of 16 rebel leaders in the last 48 hours.
‘Last blow’ to Gopal Mandal
The biggest and high-profile name in this second eviction campaign is that of Gopal Mandal. Gopal Mandal, the sitting MLA from Gopalpur seat, did not get the ticket this time, after which he decided to contest the elections as an independent candidate. Hurt by the ticket being cut, Mandal had made serious allegations against senior party leaders from public forums.
There was a heated discussion in the political circles that when JDU released the first list of 11 rebels on Wednesday, why Mandal’s name was not there in it. Many analysts considered this to be Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s ‘soft corner’ towards him, as Mandal had always praised Nitish Kumar’s work and had even said that he would support him even after winning the elections. However, today’s expulsion makes it clear that there is no scope for compromising discipline in the electoral battle.
16 rebels arrested in 48 hours: a quick and collective action
This quick action by the JDU high command is an indication that the party does not want to allow any rebel leader to harm the official candidates in the assembly elections. By immediately removing the rebels, the party leadership has given a clear message to the grassroots workers and voters.
The first list included 11 big leaders including former minister Shailesh Kumar, former MLA Shyam Bahadur Singh and former legislative councilor Sanjay Prasad. The second list released today includes 5 leaders including MLA Gopal Mandal. This two-pronged action has served to suppress the dissent within JDU and the party leadership has adopted a policy of zero tolerance towards the rebels.
5 prominent names included in the second list
The second list released by the party has expelled with immediate effect five leaders who were working against official candidates or contesting as independents:
- Narendra Kumar Neeraj alias Gopal Mandal (present MLA) is contesting as an independent from Gopalpur seat.
- Maheshwar Prasad Yadav (former MLA)
- Sanjeev Shyam Singh (Former Legislative Councilor/MLC)
- Himraj Singh (former minister)
- Prabhat Kiran (senior leader)
According to party sources, all these leaders were facing serious allegations of carrying out anti-party activities and supporting rebel candidates. This collective action of JDU has further intensified the electoral battle for Bihar elections, because now the impact of these 16 rebel leaders on the official JDU candidates in their respective areas will be clearly visible.