HOJAI: The ruling BJP in Assam has expelled nine leaders who are contesting the April 9 elections as independents after being denied a ticket.
“The following party workers, who have filed nominations against the officially nominated candidates of our party, have been expelled for a period of six years with immediate effect,” the BJP said in a statement.
Those evicted were Jayanta Kumar Das (Dispur constituency), Uddhab Chandra Das and Gagan Chandra Haloi (both Barpeta), Jitendrajit Goud (Kaliabor), Amalendu Das (Barkhola), Dhanjit Rabha (Goalpara West), Chakradhar Das (Bongaigaon), Ankur Das (Kamalpur), and Jashada Dulal (Shyamal), Rakshit (Lumding).
All of them were BJP’s ticket aspirants. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma earlier stated that the BJP had 1,400 ticket aspirants, but only 90 of them could be fielded.
The nine expelled rebels are facing the candidates of either the BJP or its ally Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), among others in the seats. The BJP and the AGP struck a seat-sharing deal.
Of the BJP rebels, Jayanta Kumar Das had earlier made a vitriolic attack on the party leadership, particularly Chief Minister Sarma and party chief Dilip Saikia, for fielding former Congress leader and former Nagaon MP, Pradyut Bordoloi, from the Dispur seat in Guwahati.
“Because of CongBJP, I had been under tremendous mental stress for a long time. I am feeling better now,” he had stated after quitting the BJP. By saying “CongBJP,” he had referred to former Congress leaders who are now in the BJP.
The BJP had denied a ticket to minister Nandita Gorlosa and she has since joined the Congress. She is contesting from the Haflong seat in the hill district of Dima Hasao.
The BJP, which had denied tickets to 19 MLAs, however, managed to douse the fire of dissent elsewhere. One of them was appointed as the Assam vice president on the day he was expected to file his nomination as an independent.
Meanwhile, the BJP terminated the primary membership of six of its workers for alleged anti-party activities. They were accused of either backing or cooperating with the candidates and leaders of rival political parties.