Patna: Ending days of speculation, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar late on Sunday removed the state’s minister for animal husbandry and fisheries Mukesh Sahani from the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) cabinet, people familiar with the matter said.
Kumar sent a recommendation for Sahani’s removal to Governor Phagu Chauhan days after the ruling alliance partner, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), sent a written complaint to the chief minister seeking Sahani’s removal pointing to “acts of omission and commission” carried out by the Vikasheel Insaan Party (VIP) leader.
Last week, all the three MLAs of the VIP had joined the BJP, leaving Sahni as the lone representation in the Legislative Council. His term as an MLC ends in July.
The BJP’s letter to the chief minister came after Sahani was given an ultimatum to withdraw forthwith a recent notification regarding the fishermen community in the state.
Earlier in the day, state BJP president and Paschimi Champaran MP Dr Sanjay Jaiswal levelled serious allegations against asked Sahani to mend his ways immediately. Jaiswal said Sahani had antagonised the state’s fishermen community.
“A delegation of the Fishermen Society, along with its minister, came to meet me. The years-old ministerial post of Matsyajeevi Samaj was abolished and he (Sahani) has handed over this entire society to one officer... on repeated inquiries of the Cooperative Department, they have not been able to tell till date how many are officially included in the list of traditional fishermen for formation of fishermen co-operative society,” said Jaiswal.
{{/usCountry}}“A delegation of the Fishermen Society, along with its minister, came to meet me. The years-old ministerial post of Matsyajeevi Samaj was abolished and he (Sahani) has handed over this entire society to one officer... on repeated inquiries of the Cooperative Department, they have not been able to tell till date how many are officially included in the list of traditional fishermen for formation of fishermen co-operative society,” said Jaiswal.
{{/usCountry}}The VIP chief had fielded candidates for the assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh and had run a public campaign asking people not to vote for the BJP.