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BJP suspends 58 local leaders for anti-party activities
BJP district president, Kamal Yadav, issued the order late on Monday evening, confirming the suspension of 44 leaders from Gurugram, 13 from Manesar and one from Pataudi
Gurugram: With barely four days left for the municipal elections in Haryana, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has taken action against 58 local leaders for anti-party activities. These leaders, who were contesting the Gurugram and Manesar civic body polls as independents, were expelled from the party for six years, officials said.
BJP district president, Kamal Yadav, issued the order late on Monday evening, confirming the suspension of 44 leaders from Gurugram, 13 from Manesar and one from Pataudi. The expelled members, despite not getting BJP tickets, were actively seeking votes and using their past association with the party and talking about their proximity to senior BJP leaders as part of their campaign.
Confusion among voters
BJP functionaries revealed that these rebel candidates were misleading voters by claiming party support. Their campaign posters and banners featured BJP symbols and images of senior leaders, including state minister Rao Narbir Singh and Gurugram MP Rao Inderjit Singh. Though both leaders have refrained from endorsing any independent candidate, many of the suspended leaders continued to use their pictures to gain electoral advantage.
The issue became particularly contentious in Ward 15, where BJP candidate Bharti Harsana alleged that she was denied entry into South City 2 and prevented from campaigning by rival independent candidates. She also accused local BJP-affiliated RWA members of working against her and favouring independents.
The suspended leaders include prominent figures such as former Gurugram mayor Vimal Yadav, his wife and ex-councillor Rimple Yadav, former deputy mayor Parminder Katariya, and district secretary Avnish Raghav Khandsa.
BJP’s collective decision-making committee had finalised the official candidates for the municipal polls. However, instead of backing the party’s chosen representatives, these rebel leaders filed independent nominations and continued to mislead voters.
“These candidates are indulging in anti-party activities and misleading people about party support. They are trying to stake claim and misuse BJP’s loyal vote bank. Their suspension was necessary to ensure clarity for voters,” said Kamal Yadav, BJP’s Gurugram district president.
Call for permanent suspension
Though the suspended leaders have been claiming that they will rejoin the BJP post-elections, Harsana has urged the party to take permanent action against them. “These rebels are now telling voters that BJP has assured them reinstatement within 15 days. Their suspension should be final to safeguard the party’s credibility,” she asserted.
As part of its campaign, the BJP recently released its election manifesto, promising a 25% rebate on residential tax for women homeowners, installation of ‘pink toilets’ with sanitary napkin vending machines, establishment of model parks for differently-abled citizens and free solar panels for families earning below ₹1 lakh annually.
The municipal elections in Haryana, covering 33 civic bodies, including eight corporations, four councils, and 21 committees, is scheduled to be held on March 2.
