Kerala JD-U leader quits Rajya Sabha

New Delhi Dec 20 (IANS) Disgruntled Janata Dal-United leader M.P. Veerendra Kumar on Wednesday resigned from the Rajya Sabha days after rebel JD-U leaders Sharad Yadav and Ali Anwar were disqualified from the Upper House.

The 80-year-old also a Kerala media baron submitted his resignation to Rajya Sabha Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu on Wednesday morning Arun Kumar Shrivastava also a rebel JD-U leader told IANS. Shrivastava said Veerendra Kumar who was elected to the Upper House from Kerala last year with support from the Congress-led UDF resigned "so that no one questions his integrity that he is aligning with (Bihar Chief Minister and JD-U President) Nitish Kumar". Veerendra Kumar was the chairman of the JD-U s Kerala unit. Nitish Kumar s decision to break away from the Grand Alliance with the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Congress in Bihar and align with the BJP-led NDA in July this year triggered rebellion in the party. JD-U s founder leader Sharad Yadav led the rebel faction to protest Nitish Kumar s decision. He was disqualified from the Rajya Sabha along with Ali Anwar on December 4 "on ground of defection rules". --IANS sg-aks/sar/vm