After Spat With Nitish, JD(U) Expels Prashant Kishor, Pavan Varma

Prashant Kishor and Pavan Varma have been expelled for indulging in “anti-party activities”. 

(Photo: PTI/IANS/Altered by The Quint)

The Janata Dal (United) has expelled its vice-president Prashant Kishor as well as national general secretary Pavan Varma for indulging in “anti-party activities”, a party statement said on Wednesday, 29 January.

The expulsion comes amid differences in the party after Kishor voiced his criticism against the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. The latter was supported by the Nitish Kumar-led party in the Parliament.

Varma also created a stir with his open letter to party chief Nitish Kumar.

‘Best Wishes to You’

After his explusion, Kishor thanked Kumar and sent best wishes to him “to retain the chair of chief minister of Bihar”.

Pavan Varma too congratulated the Bihar CM for “removing all the obstacles and impediments from his path in his pursuit of short-term political gain.” “This pursuit is clearly now completely without any fidelity or loyalty to ideology,” he added.

“He (Nitish Kumar) can now achieve his short term political goals, including possibly that of the chief ministership of Bihar, without any reference to party’s constitution, his own ideological views of which he has spoken repeatedly in past, and directions and actions of his ally BJP [sic].”

Pavan Varma, as quoted by ANI

What Did The Statement Say?

A JD(U) statement, issued by party's chief general secretary KC Tyagi, said that these two were "acting against party's decisions as well as its functioning" which amounted to breach of discipline.

The party also accused Kishor of using "insulting words" against the Bihar chief minister.

The JD(U) said, "it is imperative that Kishor be removed from the party, so that he doesn't fall any lower."

Meanwhile, in a statement issued by the Bihar BJP in Patna, its spokesman Nikhil Anand hailed Nitish Kumar for showing Kishor the door and termed the election strategist-turned-politician a “loudmouth.”

Anand also said Kishor and Varma were “rudderless” leaders, who would struggle to find even two supporters in the state, and accused them of putting the BJP-JD(U) alliance under strain by their relentless opposition to the CAA and NPR.

"It is not the first time that Nitish Kumar has spoken about Kishor's induction into the JD(U) having been recommended by Amit Shah. Why were there no objections earlier? Because now 'Ashant' (parodying his first name that means pacific) Kishor wants to play the victim card," the BJP leader said.

The Differences

On Tuesday, Nitish Kumar and Kishor had hit out at each other, with the Bihar CM saying that the latter was inducted into the party at the “insistence of Amit Shah”. Soon after, Kishor shot back, tweeting:

“Nitish Kumar, what a fall for you to lie about how and why you made me join JDU!! Poor attempt on your part to try and make my colour same as yours! And if you are telling the truth who would believe that you still have courage not to listen to someone recommended by Amit Shah.”

A few days back, Kumar had also snubbed Pavan Varma, saying that he can join any party he likes. Kumar was responding to Varma’s open letter to him on the party’s alliance with the BJP in the upcoming Delhi elections.