The JVM’s principal general secretary Abhay Singh on Tuesday issued a show-cause notice to Poreyahat MLA Pradeep Yadav for alleged anti-party activities.

The show-cause was issued on the instruction of party president Babulal Marandi, who is said to be keen to merge his party in the BJP. In the recently held Assembly election, the JVM won three seats, including Marandi who won from Dhanwar.

On January 21, Mandar MLA Bandhu Tirkey was expelled from the JVM on the same charges that Yadav has been served a notice for. Both Tirkey and Yadav are opposed to merger in the BJP and both are in touch with the Congress. Yadav and Tirkey had forced Marandi to extend support to the Hemant Soren-led government. Later, the JVM withdrew support to the government.

Yadav has already been removed as leader of the JVM legislature party.

Pradeep Yadav Telegraph file picture

“There are ample evidences suggesting he (Yadav) is ignoring party discipline and spoke against the party and the president,” JVM general secretary Singh said. “On January 20 Yadav even participated in the programme organised by the Congress against CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act) at a time when the party has not taken any stand regarding CAA. He attended the programme without permission of the party.”

The show-cause notice pointed out that Yadav on January 23 met Congress national president Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi in Delhi where state Congress in-charge R.P.N. Singh was also present.

Abhay Singh said that Yadav met the Congress leaders without permission of the JVM.

During a press meet on Friday in Godda, Yadav had hinted that he was set to join the Congress. Sources in the JVM said that Yadav’s expulsion was just a matter of time.

“Yadav and Marandi ji have parted ways and the show-cause notice is a step towards termination of Yadav from the party. Yadav once had hijacked the party and he had even tried overshadowing the authority of the party president,” said a senior JVM leader.