Sharad Yadav posted pictures of the reception that he had received during his tour.
Highlights
- JD-U suspended 21 party leaders who joined Sharad Yadav on his tour
- Mr Yadav's Facebook pictures showed the kind of reception his tour got
- He hinted the party may have underestimated his following within JD-U
As Janata Dal United continues to penalise party leaders seen with Sharad Yadav on his public outreach campaign, the 70-year-old leader who has accused Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar of betraying the electorate by joining hands with the BJP signalled that the party may have underestimated his following within the party.
"I have just toured three districts in one state and they had to sack 21 people. I am going to tour other states too. Their fingers will get tired counting, sacking people (who support him)," Mr Yadav said in a post on Facebook, accompanied by pictures of the reception that he had received during his tour.
Mr Yadav also put out the order by Bihar JD-U President Vashistha Narayan Singh suspending 21 party leaders on Monday. These 21 leaders including former ministers, lawmakers and district level office bearers were seen with him during the trip which he had said, was meant to have "direct dialogue" with the people.
"The public and party workers are with us," the Rajya Sabha member who was the party's founder president said. Mr Kumar had last month recast his alliance, junking Lalu Yadav and the Congress and tied up with the BJP.
The senior leader's Facebook post came hours after the JD-U suspended 21 leaders and brushed aside suggestions that Sharad Yadav could really split the party.
"98 per cent of office bearers, 100 per cent of MLAs and 75 per cent of state committees" are with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who is also the party president, KC Tyagi, the party's general secretary and spokesperson had declared. Sharad Yadav had claimed he enjoyed support of 14 state units.
A sulking Sharad Yadav had refused to attend the oath-taking ceremony which saw Mr Kumar being re-inducted as head of the state government. But after he launched a campaign against the reconfiguration of the alliance, Nitish Kumar made it clear that Sharad Yadav should accept the party's decision. If he didn't, "he is free to go where he wants".
Hours later, the party removed Sharad Yadav as JD-U's leader in the Rajya Sabha and suspended Ali Anwar Ansari, also a Rajya Sabha member, for attending a joint opposition meeting convened by Congress president Sonia Gandhi. All of them have been accused of "anti-party activities".