Taking a serious view of cross voting by party’s MLAs from Jammu and Kashmir in the state Legislative Council elections, the BJP today suspended seven party MLAs, including Legislature Party leader Chaman Lal Gupta.
Besides, Mr Gupta, MLAs Jagdish Sapolia, Master Lal Chand, Baldev Rai Sharma, Garu Ram, Durga Das and Bharat Bhushan have also been suspended. The decision to suspend them was taken in the party’s Parliamentary Board meeting here in which BJP national president Nitin Gadkari, senior party leader L K Advani, all the 11 MLAs from Jammu and Kashmir and other leaders were present.
“BJP has taken a serious view of cross voting by the MLAs in Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Council election. Seven MLAs have been suspended. The party had issued whip to the members to vote for the party candidate. The MLAs have violated the whip,” BJP national general secretary Ananth Kumar told reporters.
The seven out of 11 BJP MLAs voted for National Conference and Congress candidates in the Legislative Council elections on April 13. BJP candidate Thakur Ranjit Singh got only four votes.
Mr Kumar added that show cause notice has also been issued to the MLAs asking them why they should not be expelled from the party. They have been given one week time to reply on the notice.
“Jugal Kishore Sharma has been appointed as acting Legislature Party leader,” he informed. BJP’s Jammu and Kashmir in-charge OP Kohli, co-incharge RPN Singh and national general secretary JP Nadda submitted their preliminary report in this regard to the Parliamentary Board.
Mr Gadkari held a meeting with the MLAs yesterday also in which the party high command termed the cross voting as “gross indiscipline”. After the cross voting, the party central leadership had forced them to resign.
The party activists had staged protest demonstration at the state unit headquarters in Jammu. They said the MLAs had betrayed the party and hurt the sentiments of the people.
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