Sunil Kumar Singh, a prominent leader of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and a close associate of party president Lalu Prasad, was expelled from the Bihar Legislative Council on Friday due to his unruly behavior earlier this year. The expulsion follows Singh's involvement in a February 13 incident where he was charged with raising slogans against Chief Minister Nitish Kumar during a heated debate in the House. Alongside Singh's expulsion, Mohd Qari Sohaib, another RJD Member of the Legislative Council (MLC), was suspended for two days for similar disruptive conduct on the same day. Unlike Singh, Sohaib expressed regret for his actions during the inquiry, whereas Singh remained defiant.
The expulsion decision was made on the last day of the monsoon session, with Singh’s suspension set to take effect when the House reconvenes. Anticipating further conflict, RJD legislators, including Opposition Leader Rabri Devi, protested by wearing black badges in the House. Before his expulsion, Singh criticized Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, accusing him of being vindictive and targeting critics, even those within his alliance. Singh cited the recent replacement of Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary by Dilip Kumar Jaiswal as an example of Kumar’s political maneuvering.
BJP national media co-convenor Sanjay Mayukh, an MLC himself, defended Choudhary’s replacement, framing it as consistent with the party’s policy of limiting individuals to a single post. Following Singh’s expulsion, Rabri Devi condemned the action as a "murder of democracy" and a "dark chapter in history." She questioned whether the House would hold Kumar accountable for allegedly threatening Singh during the earlier dispute. Ashok Kumar Pandey, an RJD MLC and member of the Ethics Committee, alleged that despite the committee’s unanimous recommendations, the proceedings were not shared with them despite multiple requests. Chairman Ram Bachan Rai, a JD(U) MLC, was unavailable for comment on this matter.
Singh, who also leads the Bihar State Cooperative Marketing Union (BISCOMAUN), argued that the Chief Minister harbored resentment towards him for consistently questioning his government and rejecting offers to join his camp. Singh further claimed that the Ethics Committee report was “full of falsehoods.”