The BJP on Friday suspended MLC Tunna Pandey from the party with “immediate effect” for making “comments against the party line”.
Mr. Pandey who had recently called Bihar CM Nitish Kumar a “Chief Minister of circumstances” had, on Thursday, met Osama Sahab, son of former RJD MP and strongman Mohd Shahabuddin in Siwan.
“The chairman of BJP’s disciplinary committee Vinay Singh had served a show-cause notice to you for making comments against party’s discipline. In spite of this, you made another comment against party line... So, you’re suspended from the party with immediate effect,” said the letter of suspension issued by State BJP president Sanjay Jaiswal.
Earlier on Thursday, party’s disciplinary committee chairman Vinay Singh had served a show-cause notice to Mr. Pandey for his remarks against Mr. Kumar and asked him to reply in 10 days. The BJP MLC’s term in State Legislative Council is scheduled to expire on July 16.
Mr. Pandey’s brother Bacchha Pandey is Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MLA from Barharia also in Siwan district. The suspension comes amid speculation that Mr. Tunna Pandey is also likely to be joining the RJD soon.
“I’ll reply and present my case on whatever notice has come from BJP. Why I’m speaking against Nitish Kumar, I’ll tell this in front of my party leaders,” Mr Tunna Pandey told journalists soon after meeting Mr. Sahab.
Mr. Pandey’s criticism of Mr Kumar has come in a series of tweets sparking sharp political reactions from NDA alliance partners. He had accused the Chief Minister for “being hand in glove with liquor smugglers since 2009” and said he would “expose him (Mr Kumar) that he would land in jail”.
On June 2, he tweeted: “Whatever I had said was right that in this election people had given their mandate to elect Tejashwi Yadav but Nitish Kumar ji came to power by misusing official machinery”. Earlier too, while slamming Mr. Kumar, the BJP MLC had said he (Mr Kumar) has been a “chief minister of circumstances”.
Responding to the remarks, JD(U) MLC and party spokesperson Sanjay Singh, said, “Nobody can prove corruption charges against our leader Nitish Kumar ji. The BJP MLC Tunna Pandey himself was in liquor business and he is peeved with the government after prohibition. But, whoever will taken on our leader Nitish Kumar ji, we’ll not tolerate.”
NDA allies Rashtriya Lok Samata Party and Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) too condemned Mr. Pandey’s “highly objectionable” comments and demanded action against him from the BJP leadership.
