The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday evening expelled its senior leader in Jammu and Kashmir, Chaman Lal Gupta from primary membership of the party for a period of six years, with immediate effect, for his involvement in “anti party activities”.
Gupta had also served as union minister of state for defence and civil aviation in the NDA government headed by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
The decision was taken by the parliamentary board of BJP in a meeting chaired by the party’s national president Nitin Gadkari at Teen Murti Lane, New Delhi. The meeting was also attended by L K Advani and other top leaders of the party.
The parliamentary board noted with concern continued “anti party activity” of Gupta and described his act of serving disqualification notices to four MLAs of the party as “gross indiscipline” “Though he had already been suspended from the party on the charge of anti-party activity, yet he has issued show cause notices to four BJP members of Legislative Assembly of Jammu and Kashmir. This, the Parliamentary Board treats as further case of gross indiscipline and resolves to expel Chaman Lal Gupta from the primary membership of BJP for a period of six years with immediate effect,” the Board maintained.
Gupta became the first victim of the cross voting scam which hit the J&K unit of BJP on April 13, when seven out of eleven MLAs cross voted in favour of candidates of the ruling coalition parties — the National Conference and the Congress — during the Legislative Council elections.
{{/usCountry}}Gupta became the first victim of the cross voting scam which hit the J&K unit of BJP on April 13, when seven out of eleven MLAs cross voted in favour of candidates of the ruling coalition parties — the National Conference and the Congress — during the Legislative Council elections.
{{/usCountry}}The party high command had secured the resignations of all its 11 MLAs from the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly after the cross voting scam.
It had suspended seven MLAs including Chaman Lal Gupta, Baldev Raj Sharma (MLA, Reasi), Jadish Raj Sapolia (MLA, Basholi), Bharat Bhushan (MLA, Domana), Master Lal Chand (MLA, Bani) and Durga Dass (MLA, Hiranagar) and Gharu Ram (MLA R S Pura) for allegedly voting in favour of NC and Congress candidates.
The remianing four MLAs -- deputy leader of BJP Legislative party Jugal Kishore Sharma, chief whip Ashok Khajuria, Sham Choudhary and Sukhnandan Choudhary -- were given a clean chit.
The board, however, remained silent on any kind of action against the other six suspended MLAs, who owe allegiance to Chaman Lal Gupta.