Grappling with the ever increasing dissidence in the party, the ruling Janata Dal-United on Friday finally revamped its State party unit with 10 vice-presidents, 14 general secretaries and five spokespersons.
Earlier, following the reports of rebellion by over two dozen party MlAs, State JD(U) president Basistha Narayan Singh had dissolved the State party unit saying new party functionaries would soon be appointed.
The former State Chief Minister and senior party leader Nitish Kumar along with his successor Jitan Ram Manjhi and senior party leader Ram Sundar Das have been figured in the list new 62 State executive members. Altogether 72 party leaders, including veteran filmmaker Prakash Jha who had lost the last lok Sabha poll from Bettiah have been made special invitees to the State executive.
Besides, in the new formation of JD(U) five spokespersons have been appointed with the names of Sanjay Singh, Neeraj Kumar, Ajay Alok, Rajiv Ranjan and Ashmatullah Bukhari. Both Sanjay Singh and Neeraj Kumar had earlier resigned from their post of spokesperson protesting inclusion of 14 new Ministers in the Manjhi Cabinet on May 20.
However, later they made up and returned to the party fold with their previous role.
In a significant move Ranbir Nandan who earlier had deserted BJP to join JD(U) has been made treasurer of the party. There are also six secretaries and eight organising secretaries in the new set up of the party.
Most of the senior party leaders who had contested the last parliamentary poll but lost the seat like Ranjan Yadav, Devendra Parasad Yadav, Dinesh Chandra Yadav, Ashwamedha Devi, Anil Sahni and others too have been accommodated in the new team of the party.
Meanwhile, taking strong actions against the rebel party MlAs the party has written to the State Assembly Speaker end their membership from the House. Besides, four Gaynendra Singh Gyanu, Rahul Sharma, Ravindra Rai and Neeraj Kumar Babloo the other party MlA Ajit Kumar, an MlA from Kanti too has been served notice for ending their membership by the Speaker.
They have given time to represent themselves before the Speaker and answer the showcause notice served to them. Two of the woman MlAs who had rebelled against the party leadership during the general elections Annu Shukla and Poonam Devi too have been given time to explain their position.
However, despite all these tough measures, said party sources, dissidence in JD(U) have been growing every day. Recently, a senior party leader Monajir Hassan had quit JD(U) and joined BJP along with scores of his supporters.
“Many more party MlAs and leaders are feeling suffocating in the present set up of the party and most of them would eventually quit the party,” said a rebel MlA.