JD(U) presses for Anant Singh’s disqualification, Speaker’s office assures ‘quick action’

Expelled JD(U) leader Anant Singh

Two days after expelling Mokama MLA Anant Singh from the party for “anti-party activities”, Janata Dal (United) State president Umesh Kushwaha on Monday (October 26, 2026) visited the office of the Assembly Speaker to ask about action on the party’s earlier request to rescind his membership from the House. He was assured of “quick action”.

The NDA Government on Monday also removed Mr. Singh’s wife, former MLA Neelam Devi, from the Government’s 20-point programme committee, and later asked her to vacate her official bungalow in Patna by November 25, 2026.

“We had submitted evidence against his (Anant Singh’s) anti-party activities to the Speaker’s office on Sunday, October 25. Today I had come to know the status of action on our request to rescind Mr. Singh’s membership of the House, but since Speaker Prem Kumar was not in the office, the Assembly secretary assured me that quick action will be taken,” Mr. Kushwaha told journalists on the Assembly premises.

He also asserted that “the party runs on discipline, and you all (media persons) know well how he was working and what he was saying for the last few days.” Party sources, though, told The Hindu that the JD(U) had submitted 10 pages of evidence and a video CD to the Speaker, along with the expulsion letter, to prove its point.

On October 24, 2026, the ruling JD(U) had expelled Mr. Singh, the party’s strongman MLA from Mokama, and his wife, Ms. Devi, from the party for six years for their “anti-party activities”, and sought his disqualification from the Assembly.

In the recently concluded State Legislative Council elections for eight seats, Mr. Singh had campaigned hard for Opposition candidate Anuj Kumar Singh in the Patna Graduates’ constituency, instead of the party’s official candidate Neeraj Kumar. The results are scheduled to be announced on October 23.

After his expulsion, Mr. Singh told journalists that “he still honours JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar and will continue to do so, but Mr. Kumar is no longer in command of the party, so the JD(U) is finished now and won’t be able to win even 10 seats in the next Assembly elections”. He added that instead of joining another party, he would launch his “own party”.

On the party’s recommendation, the Government on Monday also removed Ms. Devi from the 20-point programme implementation committee, which had given her the status of a Deputy Minister. The Building Construction Department later served a notice on her, where Mr. Singh too was living, to vacate their official bungalow at 1, Mall Road, Patna, by November 25, 2026.