New Delhi : In a sweeping post-election crackdown on rebels, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday expelled former Union power minister and ex-Ara MP RK Singh for six years, accusing him of anti-party activities. The BJP also suspended MLC Ashok Kumar Agarwal and Katihar Mayor Usha Agarwal on similar charges, as the party moves to rein in rebellion within its Bihar ranks. Singh has been asked to submit a formal reply within one week.
The action came after a sharply worded show-cause notice earlier in the day, in which the BJP accused Singh of causing harm to the party through his public remarks and conduct. You are indulging in anti-party activities this has caused harm to the party. Therefore, you are being suspended and asked to explain why you should not be expelled, the notice mentioned.
Singh, who served as Union power minister from 2017 to 2024, publicly questioned the Bihar government’s decision to award the 2,400 MW Bhagalpur (Pirpainti) power project to Adani Power Ltd. He alleged that the project amounted to a Rs 60,000–62,000 crore scam, accusing the government of agreeing to purchase electricity at an inflated rate of Rs 6 per unit, which he claimed would burden the poor and middle class.
Left leaders too picked up Singh’s charges, with CPI(ML) leader Dipankar Bhattacharya noting that even a former Union power minister had accused the Nitish Kumar government of corruption. Singh’s continued criticism of the party deepened the rift. He openly urged voters to reject candidates with criminal records, including those fielded by the NDA, and advised people to vote for NOTA if no clean candidate was available.
Singh doubled down on his allegations, posting documents related to the alleged Rs 62,000-crore scam on his official X handle. He also criticised the Election Commission, accusing it of failing to enforce the Model Code of Conduct. Armed convoys during the election period, calling it “a flagrant violation of democratic norms” and demanding strict action against officials and influential candidates.
RK Singh, a two-time MP from Arrah and former minister of state for power and renewable energy, had lost his seat in the 2024 general election. The BJP suspended MLC Ashok Kumar Agarwal for campaigning for his son, Saurav Agarwal, who contested the election as a VIP candidate against BJP nominee Tar Kishore Prasad. The party said his involvement in his son’s campaign amounted to clear anti-party activity, issuing him a show-cause notice before suspending him.
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