The Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) on Thursday expelled another legislator, Pradeep Yadav who could have been roadblock in party’s merger plan with BJP. Yadav, who represents Poreyahat Assembly constituency for around decade has remained with Babulal Marandi for most of his political career.

The expulsion of Yadav was announced by Abhay Kumar Singh the party’s principal general secretary, the post which Yadav was holding in party before the constitution of new working committee last month. Announcing the expulsion of Yadav from party, Singh said, “Pradeep Yadav has been expelled from party for anti-party activities. His activities were against party line. The party had issued him show cause notice for anti-party activities and he was given 48-hours to reply but even after completion of deadline no reply came from Yadav so he has been expelled from party.”

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, Poreyahat, Mandar and Dhanwar the seat which Marandi represents in Assembly. Bandhu Tirkey representing Mandar has already been expelled from party for anti-party activities. 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 toeing the line of other opposition leaders against Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), and National Register of Citizens (NRC) too has been questioned by party high command.

Yadav’s visit to New Delhi where he had met Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi along with Bandhu Tirkey too has been found unsavory with JVM leadership.

However, Yadav has challenged his expulsion from party. Yadav talking to media persons on Thursday said, “I have no information about my expulsion as I had not received any show cause notice from party high command.” Yadav fringed ignorance about Abhay Kumar Singh in JVM.

Yadav who has remained with Marandi for most of political career said, “The motive with which Babulal Marandi is executing entire exercise will not pay him results.

As per 10th schedule of Constitution for merger of any party with another party two third majority is needed and after the expulsion of two MLAs there is no power left with Marandi to take any decision about merger of party.”

Yadav has remained with Marandi both in good and bad times but in last few months differences between the two leaders have cropped up over merger with BJP.

 Both Pradeep Yadav and Babulal Marandi come from RSS background. In 2000 when the separate State was carved out of Bihar with Babulal Marandi becoming first chief minister, Yadav was in Marandi’s Cabinet. Yadav, who has been representing Poreyahat for around two decades, left BJP in 2006 when Marandi formed his own party JVM (P).

However, most of the leaders who were with Marandi such as Ravindra Rai, Inder Singh Namdhari, Praveen Singh, Deepak Prakash left JVM, but Pradeep Yadav stayed with him. Also in 2015, when six MLAs out of eight JVM made a split joining BJP, Yadav at time too remained with Marandi.

Sources said that Yadav who has bitter experiences with BJP was said to have strongest opposition with JVM merger with BJP.