Patna: The BJP has begun a purge barely a day after its massive victory in the Bihar Assembly Elections. As a first step, the party suspended former Union minister and MP R K Singh for anti-party activities. Insiders believe that this will serve as a warning to other renegades in the ranks.
Singh was also served a show-cause notice, asking him why he should not be expelled from the party. This action follows public remarks made by the leader, repeatedly challenging the party line and embarrassing the NDA during the high-stakes election.
In the run-up to the polls, Singh had openly questioned several NDA candidates and targeted the Nitish Kumar-led Bihar government, alleging a power scam under its watch. His comments, coming at a sensitive political moment, created unease within the BJP as the opposition sought to exploit the controversy.
“Your activities are against the party and fall under indiscipline. The party has taken this seriously, as it has caused harm to the organization. Therefore, as per instructions, you are being suspended from the party and issued a show-cause notice asking why you should not be expelled,” the BJP wrote to Singh.
“You are directed to clarify your position within one week of receiving this letter,” it added.
Singh had also made pointed attacks on key leaders across parties, including deputy chief minister Samrat Chaudhary, JD(U)’s Anant Singh, and RJD’s Suraj Bhan Singh. In a particularly stinging remark, he said it would be “better to drown in a small puddle” than vote for such candidates.
He also accused several RJD nominees of criminal links and urged voters to reject them. These remarks triggered strong political reactions across the state.
The BJP was biding its time. Despite growing annoyance, the BJP refrained from acting against Singh during the campaign, wary that disciplinary action could snowball into a larger political flashpoint. However, there was no holding back after the election results were declared.
Singh is a former diplomat and was the Home Secretary during Manmohan Singh’s tenure. He joined the BJP in 2013 and became an MP from Arrah twice in 2014 and 2019. In 2017, he was appointed the minister of power in the Modi 1.0 cabinet. He lost his seat in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.