HP Congress boots out 14 party workers
THE PARTY WORKERS HAVE BEEN EXPELLED FOR SIX YEARS FOR INDULGING IN ‘ANTIPARTY’ ACTIVITIES DURING THE POLLS
SHIMLA: The Himachal Congress on Saturday expelled a former MLA and 13 others for allegedly working against the party’s official nominee during the assembly elections.
Former Jogindernagar MLA Surender Pal Thakur was expelled for six years for “antiparty activities”, a party official told Hindustan Times.
The Congress has also shown the door to Digvijay Puri, Baldev Chaudhary, Arvind Gupta, Arun Bisht, Rajnish Padha, Durgesh Nandani—all party workers from Dharamsala.
The party also expelled Ranbir Rana, Sumeet Sharma, Sanjeev Saini from Kutlehar, Kamal Pathania from Hamirpur, Bimla Chauhan and Kehar Singh and Ravinder Pal from Jogindernagar.
Earlier on Saturday, the party expelled two of its sitting MC councilors from Shimla for anti-party activities.
The party had alleged that Archana Dhawan, the councillor from Jakhu, Inderjit Singh, the councillor from Lower Bazar, were siding with Independent candidate from Shimla, Harish Janartha.
Both Dhawan and Singh are Virbhadra loyalists.
Janartha, another Virbhadra loyalist, was denied ticket by Congress this time and decided to contest independently.
Many Congress workers, including those having allegiance to Virbhadra Singh, sided with Janartha.
Earlier the Congress had also expelled Harish Janartha, Puran Chand, Singhi Ram, Vijai Singh Mankotia, Beni Prasad, Rajinder Karpa, Rajiv Gautam, Shiv Haripal Rattan Singh Kashyap.
Vijai Singh Mankotia, Harish Janartha, Puran Chand, Singhi Ram are contesting elections from Shahpur, Shimla, Nalagarh, Darang and Rampur respectively.
Barring Mankotia, all these rebels who are in the fray are considered close to Virbhadra Singh.
The Congress party has shown the door to another Virbhadra loyalist Hardeep Baba who is in the fray as Independent candidate from Nalagarh assembly segment.
Baba was the vice-chairman of Himachal Pradesh building and other workers welfare board.
Former state vice-president Puran Chand, who is contesting as an Independent from Drang against the party official nominee health minister Kaul Singh Thakur, has also been expelled from the party for six years.