The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today announced the expulsion of eight leaders, including two former ministers, who have filed nominations to contest the October 5 Haryana Assembly elections as independent candidates.
According to a statement issued by state BJP chief Mohan Lal Badoli, the leaders expelled include former minister Ranjit Chautala and Sandeep Garg. Chautala, who quit his ministerial post after being denied a ticket, has filed his nomination from the Rania constituency. Garg is running as an independent against Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini in Ladwa.
Expulsion for Six Years
The BJP leadership, in its statement, confirmed that the eight leaders have been expelled from the party for a period of six years, effective immediately. The expulsion follows their decision to contest against official BJP candidates in the upcoming polls.
The six other leaders facing expulsion include Zile Ram Sharma (Assandh), Devender Kadyan (Ganaur), former minister Bachan Singh Arya (Safidon), Radha Ahlawat (Meham), Naveen Goyal (Gurgaon), and Kehar Singh Rawat (Hathin).
Ranjit Chautala's Break with BJP
Ranjit Chautala's decision to contest as an independent comes after his disappointment over not receiving a BJP ticket from the Rania seat, which he previously represented as an independent MLA. Chautala had resigned from the Assembly before joining the BJP earlier this year, and unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha elections from Hisar.
Haryana Polls on October 5
The 90-member Haryana Assembly is set to go to polls on October 5, with vote counting scheduled for October 8. The BJP is aiming for a third consecutive term in power.
In a similar move, the Haryana Congress expelled 13 leaders on Friday for engaging in "anti-party activities" after they decided to contest as independents. Both major parties have faced internal unrest due to the denial of tickets, but many disgruntled leaders have since been appeased.
With inputs from agencies
Image Source: Multiple agencies
© Copyright 2024. All Rights Reserved Powered by Vygr Media.
