Ashok Choudhary was removed from the post of Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee chief with immediate effect on Tuesday. “Congress President Sonia Gandhi has relieved Ashok Choudhary from the post of Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee chief with immediate effect,” AICC general secretary Janardan Dwivedi said. VP Kaukab Quadri will take charge of responsibilities till new chief of Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee is announced.
The action comes amid reports of a possible split in the Bihar unit, which a section of the party alleged was being spearheaded by him. Choudhary had accused party insiders of fuelling rebellion against him with the “false propaganda” that he was making attempts to split the party.
“Some AICC leaders are behind the crisis in the Congress in Bihar…they are fuelling rebellion against me by alleging that I am making attempts to break the party in favour of Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) to replace me from PCC president’s post with their favourite,” Ashok Choudhary had said.
Earlier this month, Choudhary did not go to Delhi on being summoned by Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi for a meeting to stem the crisis in Bihar arising after the collapse of the Grand Alliance.
The Congress has 27 MLAs in the 243-member Bihar Assembly.
