4 ministers among 11 ‘rebels’ expelled by Rajasthan BJP

JAIPUR: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) expelled its 11 leaders, including four ministers in the Vasundhara Raje government, for six years for contesting against party candidates in the December 7 Assembly election, said a release from the party on Thursday night.

State party president Madan Lal Saini issued the order for expulsions of these 11 leaders last night after the last day for withdrawal of nominations.

The expelled leaders include public health engineering department minister Surendra Goyal, general administration department minister Hemsingh Bhadana, devasthan minister Rajkumar Rinwa and junior panchayati raj and rural development minister Dhan Singh Rawat.

The four were denied tickets by the BJP and they filed nominations as Independent candidates.

The other leaders, who faced the axe, are Laxmi Narayan Dave (Marwar Junction), Radhyeshyam Ganganagar (Sriganaganagar), Rameshwar Bhati from Sujangarh, Kuldeep Dhankad from Viratnagar, DD Kumawat from Phulera, Kisnaram Nai from Sridungargarh and Anita Katara from Dungarpur.

Earlier, the BJP and the Congress managed to persuade several rebels to withdraw from the contest.

However, several of them continue to be in the fray to queer the pitch of the authorised party candidates and to make the contest triangular and quadrangular in some constituencies.