Day after expelling 30 leaders in Jharkhand, BJP ousts 40 in Maha for ‘indiscipline‘

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) unit of Maharashtra has expelled 40 of its workers and leaders from the party in 37 Assembly constituencies.

The move comes a day after it expelled 30 leaders in Jharkhand. The workers and leaders were expelled for not following party discipline and attempting to break the BJP. The harsh disciplinary move by the BJP came just ahead of the Assembly elections on 20 November.

Significantly, on 5 November, Tuesday, the BJP expelled 30 leaders from Jharkhand for contesting as Independent candidates against party nominees in various Assembly seats in the upcoming polls in the state.

In Maharashtra, senior BJP leaders Devendra Fadnavis and Chandrashekar Bawankule have warned that action will be taken against rebels after the crucial polls are over. State BJP chief Bawankule said the party will crack the whip against rebels and suspend them for six years.

"We will be closing the party's doors for them and they will be suspended for six years. This process is going on and we are doing an analysis of who left (rebels) and who all left with them. Subsequently, action will be taken," he said.

State BJP office secretary Mukund Kulkarni had issued the expulsion orders. "Despite being the party office bearers, you have flouted the party discipline. Your action is against the party discipline and therefore you have been expelled with immediate effect", reads the expulsion order sent to the rebels.

The BJP, which has fielded its nominees in 148 constituencies projecting itself as a big brother in the Mahayuti, had earlier warned that it would not tolerate rebellion or indiscipline that can cost the party heavily in the crucial elections.

The last date for filing nominations was 4 November. The BJP's move comes after the growing chorus among the party cadres and leaders to take action against rebels amid the ongoing election process. A senior party functionary said:

"It was brought to the notice of the state leaders that if the action is not taken against those crossing the party line, it will send a wrong message not just in the BJP but also in the Mahayuti alliance. The presence of rebels not just in constituencies where the BJP has fielded its candidates but also in the constituencies of Shiv Sena and NCP would have harmed the poll prospects of those nominees. Therefore, the party has swung into action and expelled those rebels."

The list of expelled party functionaries included Shrikant Karle, Sopan Patil (Dhule rural), Mayur Kanse and Ashwani Sonawane (Jalgaon City), Gajanan Mahale (Akot), Nagesh Ghope (Washim), Tushar Bhartiya, who is the brother of party legislator Shrikant Bhartiya (Badnera), former minister Jagdish Gupta (Amravati), Pramod Sinh Gadre (Achalpur), Somdutt Karanjikar (Sakoli), Shankar Madavi (Aamgaon), Brijbhushan Pazare (Chandrapur), Vasant Varjukar and Atesham Ali (Warora), Bhavik Bhagat and Natwarlal Untval (Umarkhed).

Besides, Vaishali Deshmukh and Milind Deshmukh (Nanded North), Dilip Kandkurte and Sunil More (Nanded South), Satish Ghatge (Ghansavangi), Ashok Pangarkar (Jalna), Suresh Sonawane (Gangapur), Eknath Jadhav (Vaijapur) were also expelled.

Other expelled leaders included Kunal Suryavanshi (Maregaon Outer), Akash Salunkhe and Jayashree Garud (Baglan), Harish Bhagat (Nallasopara), Sneha Patil (Bhiwandi Rural), Varun Patil (Kalyan West), Gopal Zaveri (Magathane), Dharmendra Thakur (Jogeshwari East), Dilip Bhoir (Alibaug), Balasaheb Murkute (Nevasa), Shobha Banshetti (Solapur City North), Sunil Bandgar (Akkalkot), Suvarna Pachpute (Shrigonda) and Vishal Parab (Sawantwadi).

As the BJP has expelled the rebels in the party, the ball is in the court of allies Shiv Sena and NCP to take similar action. On Tuesday, the BJP had ousted 30 leaders from the party in Jharkhand

The party has been facing internal woes due to resentment by leaders over various issues including ticket distribution and on Tuesday the BJP received a major jolt after its two-term MP Hina Gavit quit the party.

To make matters worse, she decided to contest defying the party’s diktat from the Akkalkuwa constituency as an Independent. In her resignation letter, Hina Gavit, who is the daughter of BJP minister and nominee Dr Vijaykumar Gavit, said, “I am resigning so that the party does not face any problem because of my decision to contest as an Independent.”

The Jharkhand BJP on Tuesday expelled 30 leaders from the party for contesting as Independent candidates against party nominees in various Assembly seats in the upcoming polls. All the rebel BJP leaders were expelled from the party for six years.

"Thirty rebel BJP leaders were expelled from the party for six years for filing nominations and contesting against the authorised candidates by defying the party's policies," a statement issued by the BJP in Jharkhand said.