Congress suspends seven corporators from Jalna for supporting BJP

The suspension order was issued by the party’s senior vice-president Ganesh Patil following directions from the state president Harshwardhan Sapkal

Mumbai: The Maharashtra Congress on Wednesday suspended seven corporators in the Jalna Municipal Corporation (JMC) with immediate effect for violating party discipline. The corporators were accused of openly supporting Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidates during the election of nominated members to the civic body.

Congress suspends seven corporators from Jalna for supporting BJP

The suspension order was issued by the party’s senior vice-president Ganesh Patil following directions from the state president Harshwardhan Sapkal.

The Congress had nine corporators in the JMC, and it could have elected at least one nominated member to the civic body. But it faced much embarrassment after its corporators extended support to a BJP nominee during the election on March 4.

The party conducted an investigation and found seven corporators guilty of cross-voting. Based on the findings, it decided to suspend all seven corporators – Imran Khan, Amanullah Khan, Farhana A. Rauf Ansari, Sunil Ashok Borde, Mayuri Dinesh Dene, Rubina Majid Pathan and Anil Ashok Tirukhe.

The action came two months after the Congress suspended Malegaon city president Ejaz Beg for forming a front with the BJP for the Malegaon Municipal Corporation. In January, the party had suspended all 12 municipal councillors in Ambernath for forging an alliance with the BJP in the Ambernath Municipal Council. It is also investigating the failure to elect its mayor in the Chandrapur Municipal Corporation despite emerging as the single largest party.