JD-U suspends three women legislators for anti-party acts

Bihar's ruling JD-U Saturday night suspended its three women legislators, including a former minister, for campaigning and seeking votes for the BJP and RJD candidates against official party candidates.

Janata Dal-United general secretary KC Tyagi said that party has suspended the three legislators - Renu Kumari Kushwaha, Poonam Yadav and Sujata Devi - for anti-party activities and openly campaigning against party candidates.

"Enough is enough, JD-U has finally decided to suspend three women legislators after they failed to listen to the party's directive not to campaign against official party candidates including party national president Sharad Yadav," he said.

Kushwaha, who resigned from the Nitish Kumar cabinet last month, is a legislator from Bihariganj assembly constituency.

However, she is openly campaigning and seeking votes for her husband Vijay Kumar Kushwaha, whom the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has pitted against sitting MP Sharad Yadav from Madhepura constituency.

She has also attending meetings of the BJP and its allies, including the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) and the Rashtriya Lok Samta Party in connection with the ongoing campaigning for her husband.

According to JD-U leaders, Nitish Kumar tried to persuade her when she resigned, but she told him that as her husband has joined the BJP, she has no moral authority to continue as minister.

The second legislator, Poonam, wife of criminal-turned-politician Ranvir Yadav, is campaigning and seeking vote for her younger sister Krishna Yadav, who is the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) candidate from Khagaria.

Krishna is the second wife of Ranvir, a "bahubali". Ranvir said Poonam has been campaigning for Krishna. "For her, family is first than the party," he said.

Sujata Devi was also campaigning for BJP candidates against party candidates in Sitamarhi and other Lok Sabha seats.

Last year, the JD-U ended its 17-year-old alliance with the BJP and both are now contesting the general elections against each other for the first time since 1996.

The JD-U and the RJD are traditional rivals in caste-ridden Bihar politics.