Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday recommended to the governor Phagu Chauhan the removal of Vikassheel Insan Party leader and state animal husbandry and fisheries resources minister Mukesh Sahani from the cabinet.

Sources said that Nitish sent the recommendation on the request of the BJP, which earlier this week had wooed away and assimilated all the three MLAs belonging to the party. Sahani had refused to resign from the cabinet despite the BJP’s demand.

The VIP was a part of the ruling NDA since the 2020 Assembly elections.

Bollywood set-designer-turned-politician Sahani, who calls himself ‘son of Mallah’ and claims to be the leader of the fishermen, fell foul of the BJP after his party contested the recent Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls.

Sahani had his eyes on the Mallah or Nishad community that constitutes around 14 per cent of the population. The VIP contested around 50 seats and he campaigned against the BJP and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath.

The VIP chief is currently a member of the Legislative Council (MLC), but his term is till July 21 this year. It seems that the NDA will not renew it further.

Previously, Sahani was with the Opposition Grand Alliance, but was forced to leave it before the 2020 state elections after the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) did not give it even a single seat to share.