Delhi: BJP expels 3 councillors over ‘excess financial corruption’ for 6 years

One of the three councillors, Pooja Madan, joined the Aam Aadmi Party hours after the expulsion letters were made public and launched a scathing attack on the BJP

The Delhi unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday expelled three municipal councillors from the party’s primary membership for six years over complaints of “excessive financial corruption”, seven months ahead of the crucial municipal elections in the national capital.

Delhi BJP chief Adesh Gupta said the councillors were informed about the complaints and told to take corrective measures. But as there was no improvement, the party decided to expel them (PTI)

Hours after the expulsion letters were made public, one of the three councillors, Pooja Madan, joined the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) that launched a scathing attack on the BJP and demanded why it did not order a proper investigation into alleged corruption charges against the councillors.

Delhi BJP chief Adesh Gupta expelled councillors Rajni Bablu Pandey (New Ashok Nagar ward in East Delhi Municipal Corporation), Sanjay Thakur (Said-ul-Ajaib ward in South Delhi Municipal Corporation) and Pooja Madan (councillor from Mukherjee Nagar ward under North Delhi Municipal Corporation).

In his letters to the councillor, Gupta wrote, “Due to several complaints of excessive financial corruption from the people, you have been suspended from Bharatiya Janata Party’s membership for a period of six years.”

Gupta said these people were informed about the complaints and told to take corrective measures. But as there was no improvement, the party decided to expel them, he said in the letter.

Municipal elections are due to be held in Delhi in April next year. Currently, the BJP rules all the three civic bodies -- EDMC, SDMC and North DMC -- with the AAP as the main opposition in all the three corporations. The AAP has been carrying out a persistent campaign against the BJP’s rule in the three civic bodies, alleging rampant corruption and financial mismanagement in the corporations -- charges that the BJP has consistently contested and denied.

Saurabh Bharadwaj, AAP’s chief spokesperson, on Sunday asked what was the BJP waiting for despite getting complaints against the three councillors, as mentioned in the expulsion letter issued by Gupta. “What’s worth noticing is that the letter which Adesh Gupta has written to EDMC’s Ragini Bablu Pandey and SDMC’s Sanjay Thakur stated that they have received multiple complaints of financial corruption against the councillors. Also, they were warned but since they were not complying, they were expelled from the party for six years. When Adesh Gupta had complaints of financial corruption against these councillors, what were they (BJP) waiting for? The BJP has CBI, ACB, Vigilance department of the MCD, the entire central government and even the LG. Even then, they haven’t submitted even a single complaint to the authorities. Even today, the BJP is sitting as a mute spectator and not complaining against them. After five years of governing the MCD, the BJP is now initiating a cosmetic action against these councillors which is a farce. They are deceiving the people of Delhi. A real action would constitute getting them investigated.”

Pandey and Thakur said they will take up the matter with senior party leaders, but Madan said that she was expelled because she had decided to quit the party.

Madan said, “If the party thinks I am corrupt, why senior BJP leaders have been calling me for the past two or three days. They expelled me as they got to know about my decision to join the AAP. I wanted to work for the people, but the local BJP unit was just not supportive, and it had become impossible to get work done in the corporation.”

Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor has said that Madan’s inclusion in the AAP has exposed the “dual standards” of the ruling party on corruption.

“For last three months Delhi BJP was receiving complaints of corruption against Madan and she was repeatedly warned. The party at last had to expel her. Soon after her expulsion from BJP, the AAP admitted her into their party fold and it seems AAP has a washing machine to wash and purify tainted councillors. Soon, we may see AAP admitting the other two tainted councillors, who were expelled from the party along with Madan.”

Thakur and Pandey refuted reports of them joining the AAP, and said that they are trying to talk to senior BJP leaders to address the issue.

Thakur said, “I got to know about it from social media, though I’m yet to receive an official communication from the party. I have worked very hard to get where I am today. I have actively worked for the party. I will take up the matter with party seniors. I am not joining the AAP. This is a rumour.”

Rajini Pandey said that there has been a misunderstanding. “I will always remain with the party (BJP). I will meet party leaders tomorrow to discuss the matter. There has been some misunderstanding. But I will accept whatever the party decides.”

With municipal elections scheduled early next year, senior BJP leaders said that this will send a strong message to party members and people that the party will not tolerate corruption.

Jai Prakash, former mayor of the North corporation said, “We are here to work for the people and this decision shows that we have a zero-tolerance policy for corruption.”