Former union minister R.K. Singh.
Credit: PTI
New Delhi: Cracking the whip a day after it secured a massive victory in Bihar, the BJP on Saturday sent out a notice expelling former Union Power Minister RK Singh and other rebels for speaking out against the party.
Apart from expelling Singh, the party suspended MLC Ashok Kumar Agarwal and Katihar Mayor Usha Agarwal. The rebels were accused of “anti-party activities” and repeated breaches of organisational discipline.
Singh was first sent in a notice asking him to explain his repeated utterance against the party. “You are indulging in anti-party activities this has caused harm to the party. Therefore, you are being suspended and asked to explain why you should not be expelled,” the notice stated. However, Singh was expelled hours after the letter was issued.
The move is seen as the party’s discipline to stem rebellion within its Bihar ranks.
Singh has publicly taken on the BJP and made explosive allegations about a power sector scam that allegedly involved industrialist Gautam Adani. Singh served as Union power minister from 2017 to 2024 and in the last few weeks have gone public, questioning the Bihar government’s decision to award the 2,400 MW Bhagalpur (Pirpainti) power project to Adani Power Ltd.
Singh had also alleged that the scam was to the tune of Rs 60,000 crore, and also alleged that the government had agreed to purchase electricity at an inflated rate of Rs 6 per unit.
Singh has been a two time MP from Arah and lost the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. He joined the party in 2013. But in the past, he has served as the Home Secretary under prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh.
MLC Ashok Agarwal has been suspended since he campaigned for his son Saurabh, a candidate of the VIP party, against the BJP’s own candidate.