Why Nitish Kumar sacked Bihar minister Mukesh Sahani from cabinet
Sahani had entered the BJP's bad books after he repeatedly attacked Narendra Modi and Yogi Adityanath.
Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday removed state cabinet minister and founding chief of Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) Mukesh Sahani, who was brought into the NDA ahead of the last assembly elections by the BJP.
According to news agency PTI, Nitish Kumar recommended Sahani's expulsion from the cabinet to the governor in the evening, hours after the minister for fishery and animal husbandry was given the ultimatum to withdraw forthwith a recent notification.
News agency ANI reported that the development comes after the BJP submitted a letter to the CM requesting the removal of Sahani.
State BJP spokesman Arvind Kumar Singh said in a statement “our Bihar unit chief had asked Sahani, who seems hell-bent upon stabbing those in the back who healed his wounds, to mend his ways. But he did not. He brought in a notification which had greatly angered the ‘machhuara’ (fishermen) community in whose name he had sought to build his political edifice”.
Sahani is a former Bollywood set designer who had entered the BJP's bad books after he repeatedly attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath while campaigning for assembly elections in the adjoining state where his party contested more than 50 seats but sunk without a trace.
On Thursday, Sahani hit out at the BJP saying it is afraid of his growing stature. He added that the BJP was preventing regional parties from growing.
The comments came a day after three VIP lawmakers defected to the BJP. “I have been struggling since I was 18. I left Bollywood and public service to fight for the cause of my community. I knew anything can happen in this fight. ...I will keep working for the people,” said Sahani.
Sahani rejected state BJP chief Sanjay Jaiswal’s statement that he had approached the BJP for joining the ruling alliance. Jaiswal had claimed that the BJP fielded candidates for the seats that the VIP contested as part of an agreement.
A self-proclaimed leader of the fishermen's community who uses the nickname “Son of Mallah”, Manjhi had twisted the knife by fielding candidates against a number of BJP nominees in elections for 24 legislative council seats.
The BJP struck back, fielding its own candidate for bypoll in Bochahan assembly segment which has fallen vacant upon the death of a VIP MLA, and left Sahani blindsided.
Formerly with the RJD-led grand alliance, Sahani had quit the opposition camp after elections were announced, accusing Tejashwi Yadav of giving him a raw deal. A meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi was followed by his entry into the NDA.
(With inputs from agencies)
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