BJP legislator gets notice after he scorns Bihar leaders, praises Nitish Kumar

BJP MLA Gyanendra Singh Gyanu, who rebelled against Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar and quit the JD(U) to join BJP in 2015, has been critical of the state BJP leadership and the BJP ministers in Bihar government.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lawmaker Gyanendra Singh Gyanu who questioned his party’s state leadership’s ability to lead the party to a victory in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, has been served a show-cause notice by the BJP’s disciplinary committee, people familiar with the matter said on Friday.

BJP MLA Gyanendra Singh Gyanu, who often showers praise on JD)(U) leader and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, on Sunday combined his effusive praise with a blistering attack on the ability of the Bihar BJP leadership. (HT File Photo/AP Dube)

Gyanu, a legislator from Barh seat less than 100km from state capital Patna, has been a vocal critic of the state leadership after party veteran and former deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi exited Nitish Kumar’s cabinet in November 2020.. He was later elected a Rajya Sabha member.

“He has been given 14 days to explain his position for criticising the party leadership,” said BJP Bihar unit’s disciplinary committee president Vinay Singh.

On Friday, Gyanu suggested he doesn’t need that long and will respond in a day or two.

“My proximity to chief minister Nitish Kumar and criticism of the state of affairs in the party was not liked by party leaders,” the four-time lawmaker told HT.

Gyanu had been in Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) for years and was seen to be close to the chief minister. But he sprung a surprise in August 2015 when he, along with three other party rebels, vaulted into the BJP camp right before the Bihar elections in which the JD(U) partnered with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).

“In the NDA (National Democratic Alliance), CM Nitish Kumar is the only leader who has a vision. There is no alternative to Nitish Kumar and in the future also, Nitish Kumar will remain the chief minister of Bihar. BJP has become directionless and it doesn’t have a leader in Bihar BJP who can become the Chief Minister,” the Barh MLA said on December 5.

“I fear the situation in the state BJP is such that it will have an adverse impact on the party’s performance in 2024 parliamentary elections,” he added, criticising the party for not creating a strong leadership.

“Novices were made the ministers or put them in the organization. At one point of time, the likes of Sushil Kumar Modi and Mangal Pandey mattered. If there was any problem in the NDA, Modiji was available to solve it. He had the influence on the legislature party and on the organization. But today there is no one to look after,” Gyanu said, angering the state leadership.

On previous occasions too, the BJP MLA has gone public with his criticism of the party’s ministers and once, even went to the extent of accusing all except one or two of corruption.

The MLA has been sore about being kept out of the state cabinet. In February, when Nitish Kumar-led NDA government was expanded, Gyanu lamented that the “party ignored old, experienced and dedicated leaders”.