Patna, 15 Nov

Former Union minister Raj Kumar Singh, who has been in the news for his outbursts against the ruling NDA in Bihar, was on Saturday suspended from the BJP for "anti-party" activities, a party leader said.

Singh, who has been served with a suspension order by the BJP headquarters in the state, has also been asked to show cause as to why he should not be expelled from the party.

In a similar action, the party also suspended MLC Ashok Kumar Agrawal and his wife Usha Agrawal, the mayor of Katihar, the BJP leader said.

The couple had canvassed for their son Saurabh, who was contesting the Katihar Assembly seat on a ticket of Vikassheel Insan Party, against sitting BJP MLA and former Deputy CM Tarkishor Prasad.

Singh, the bureaucrat-turned-politician, who joined the BJP in 2014, months after retiring as the Union home secretary, has been critical of leaders, like Samrat Choudhary, a deputy chief minister of Bihar and a former state BJP president, for their alleged involvement in criminal cases.

He failed to retain his Ara Lok Sabha seat for a third consecutive term in the Lok Sabha polls last year.

This action marks the first major disciplinary step taken by the BJP after the Bihar election results, showcasing the party's commitment to maintaining internal discipline and coherence.

Singh has also been critical of the "deal" struck by Bihar government with the Adani Group for setting up a power plant in Bhagalpur.

Earlier this month, Singh claimed that the state government was involved in a Rs 62,000-crore corruption scandal linked to a power project. He also posted related documents on his official X handle.

Singh had also urged the Election Commission to strictly enforce the Model Code of Conduct strictly, calling the situation a "failure" on the part of both the poll body and the local administration.

He condemned the movement of large convoys of armed vehicles during the election period, calling it a flagrant violation of democratic norms and demanding strict action against officials and influential candidates involved.

Speaking on the matter, RK Singh had said, "The Election Commission must ensure strict adherence to the Model Code of Conduct. This is a failure of both the Election Commission and the district administration. It is deeply concerning and unacceptable during the election period."

He further added, "The presence of large convoys of armed vehicles blatantly violates the code and mocks the democratic process... Strict action should be taken against those responsible, including local officials and influential candidates, to curb such practices and uphold law and order..."