JD-U to invoke anti-defection law against Kushwaha

The Janata Dal-United (JD-U) will invoke anti-defection law to initiate action against its Rajya Sabha member Upendra Kushwaha for going against the party to vote in favour of FDI, said a party official on Friday.

However, sources said that action against Kushwaha is as much of a muzzling tactic by party leaders as it is a disciplinary measure.

Kushwaha has been in the news for his anti-Nitish Kumar activities. The leadership was waiting for a solid reason to disqualify him from the party and it seems that he has provided one.

“Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and party chief Sharad Yadav will soon decide on it. This time, he can not escape action. Disciplinary action against him has already been in process long before this (voting in favour of FDI),” a senior party worker said.

Party leaders said Kushwaha rebelling against the party hardly has anything to do with FDI policy as such. They consider it to be a manifestation of emerging social regrouping in Bihar.
Kushwaha, a leader from Koeri community, has worked with Nitish Kumar in forging an anti-Laloo social alliance. Later, he fell out with Nitish on the issue of power-sharing. He has been quite active against the Bihar Chief Minister and also campaigned against him.

Though there were other leaders like MP Magnilal Mandal who rebelled against the discrimination in the party, they had refused to join Congress bandwagon owing to their ideology. The FDI vote has exposed the weakest link in JD(U) chain.