Patna,(BiharTimes): Ahead of the Rajya Sabha by-election for three seats half a dozen Janata Dal (United) legislators met at the residence of Poonam Devi, MLA from Digha––who incidentally was once considered as too close to the outgoing chief minister Nitish Kumar. 
 
The meeting was held to chalk out the future course of action as the Rajya Sabha by-election is due later this month. The by-polls have been necessitated by the election of Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Ram Kripal Yadav and Ram Vilas Paswan to the Lok Sabha. They were all Rajya Sabha members and their terms end in 2016.
 
The legislators expressed strong displeasure and anger over the way the party has been hijacked by, what Poonam said, some ‘dalals’ (power-brokers), who have surrounded Nitish Kumar. She said that the Janata Dal (United) had become a party of ‘chaploos’ and ‘bhagore’ (defectors).
 
Like Gyanendra Singh Gyanu, who was also present at the meeting Poonam too called for the expulsion of R C P Singh, Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lallan Singh and Sanjay Gandhi. 
 
Poonam claimed that around 50 MLAs of Janata Dal (United) are with them and they have apprised party President Sharad Yadav of their views.
 
The rebels are trying to stall the entry of more defectors into the party on the eve of RS election. They are already upset over the induction of turncoats in the Manjhi cabinet recently. 
 
If some MLAs indulge in cross-voting in Rajya Sabha election than it may cause trouble to three candidates of the Janata Dal (United). At present the strength of the party in the Assembly is 117, which is enough to elect three candidates. 
 
Apart from Poonam and Gyanu those who attended the Friday’s meeting were Madan Sahni, Raju Kumar Singh and Ravindra Rai.