The Janata Dal (United) on Saturday, 25 October 2026 expelled Mokama MLA Anant Singh and his wife, former MLA Neelam Devi, from the party for six years over alleged anti-party activities during the recently concluded Bihar Legislative Council elections. The move marks a formal escalation of a simmering internal dispute that played out publicly on polling day.

What Triggered the Expulsion

JD(U) state president Umesh Kushwaha announced the action, citing repeated violations of party directives, allegedly derogatory remarks against senior party leadership, and Anant Singh's decision to openly oppose the party's official candidate in the Patna Graduates' constituency election. Singh instead campaigned in support of Anuj Singh, who contested on a Jan Suraaj ticket — a direct challenge to JD(U)'s official nominee, Neeraj Kumar.

In a formal letter, Kushwaha confirmed that Anant Singh's primary membership had been terminated for six years. Separately, Neelam Devi's primary membership was also revoked and she was expelled for the same duration on account of her alleged involvement in anti-party activities.

Disqualification Proceedings Initiated

Beyond internal party action, JD(U) has written to the Speaker of the Bihar Legislative Assembly, seeking action against Anant Singh's legislative membership under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, which governs disqualification on grounds of defection. Any final decision on disqualification, however, rests with the competent constitutional authority.

This dual track — party expulsion alongside a Tenth Schedule petition — significantly raises the stakes for Singh, who could potentially lose his seat as Mokama MLA if the Speaker rules against him.

Mediation Attempts That Failed

Party leaders made multiple attempts to resolve the rift before it reached this point. Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh, widely known as Lalan Singh — a senior JD(U) figure and close aide of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar — was reportedly dispatched to persuade Anant Singh to fall in line. The effort yielded no result.

Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, Health Minister Nishant Kumar, and JD(U) National Working President Sanjay Jha were also reportedly involved in behind-the-scenes attempts to bridge the differences. None succeeded.

The Polling Day Remark That Sealed the Breach

The dispute became unmistakably public on 23 October — polling day — when Anant Singh dismissed Lalan Singh's standing with a pointed remark. Singh reportedly said he did not recognise Lalan Singh, adding that there were a hundred Lalan Singhs in Bihar and that he did not know him. The comment, made on election day, was widely seen as an irreversible break with the party establishment.

Broader Significance for Bihar Politics

The episode has cast a spotlight on internal discipline within JD(U) at a sensitive moment. The party, which forms the backbone of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government in Bihar, has worked to project unity ahead of the 2025 state assembly elections. A high-profile rebel MLA backing a Jan Suraaj candidate — the political platform associated with activist Prashant Kishor — underscores the pressure the party faces from new electoral forces in the state.

The Speaker's decision on the Tenth Schedule petition will now be closely watched as the constitutional process unfolds separately from the party's internal action.