Suspended Ex-Minister RK Singh Quits BJP After Crackdown On Bihar Rebels

The BJP has turned its focus to its rebel leaders in Bihar a day after winning the state elections. Former Union Minister RK Singh, a senior politician from Bihar, is among three leaders who have been suspended for anti-party activities. The other two facing party action are Legislative Council member Ashok Agarwal and Katihar Mayor Usha Agarwal. Singh resigned from the primary membership of the party soon after being pulled up over his conduct.

Bihar BJP's state headquarters in-charge Arvind Sharma issued a notice to the leaders this morning, informing them of their suspension and asking them to explain within a week why they shouldn't be expelled from the party.

"You are indulging in anti-party activities. This falls within the scope of discipline. The party has taken this seriously. This has caused harm to the party. Therefore, as directed, you are being suspended from the party and asked to explain why you should not be expelled from the party. Therefore, please clarify your position within a week of receiving this letter," read the show-cause notice sent to Singh and the Agarwals.

RK Singh, Ashok Agarwal, and Usha Agarwal (L-R)

Sources suggest their suspension is a mere process and that they will eventually be expelled.

A former MP from Arrah in Bihar, Singh had been critical of the BJP and the government in Bihar since losing the 2024 elections. In the political wilderness, he had been questioning the NDA leadership in his state and the credibility of some allies' candidates.

He had specifically targeted party colleague Samrat Choudhary, deputy chief minister and the BJP's key candidate in Bihar. Following Prashant Kishor's corruption allegations against Choudhary and BJP Bihar chief Dilip Jaiswal, he accused them of ruining the party's image and demanded their clarification.

Read: 'No Sorrows In Defeat, No Arrogance In Victory': RJD After Bihar Poll Defeat

Singh had also called Choudhary and Jaiswal "murder accused" and urged people to shun tainted candidates.

He sought Choudhary to come clean on the doubts over his educational qualification and also named gangster-turned-politician Anant Singh of the JDU in his outburst. "It's better to drown in a handful of water than to vote for them," he had remarked.

Choudhary and Singh both won from their respective seats.

Singh, a retired IAS officer of the Bihar cadre, 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 the seat in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.