73 rebels expelled from Delhi Congress

The Congress on Wednesday expelled 73 members in its Delhi unit, including four former councillors, for six years after the party's dismal performance in last month's civic polls.

The action was taken against those who defied the party's directions and contested against official Congress candidates or fielded their relatives in April's MCD elections, said Narendra Nath, chairman of the Delhi Congress's disciplinary committee.

Though dissident activities had plagued all three of the city's major parties – the BJP, AAP and Congress – during the MCD polls, this is the first major action by any of them.

Congress managed to win a meagre 31 of the 272 wards in South, North and East Delhi Municipal Corporations.

"The decision to expel the rebels and their relatives who fought MCD elections against party candidates was taken unanimously in a meeting of the disciplinary committee," Nath said.

He said that the party is also going through complaints of anti-party activities in the civic body polls by senior party leaders and will issue show-cause notices after scrutiny of the complaints by party candidates in MCD polls.

"A curious case was that of sitting Nangli Sakrawati councillor Satender Singh Rana. He was given party ticket from Chhawla ward but he fielded his wife against our candidate from Nangli ward," Nath said.

Similarly, the then sitting Kasturba Nagar ward councillor Ravi Kalshi, who was denied ticket in MCD polls, fielded his daughter-in-law against Congress. Both were expelled, he said.

Ex-councillors Ramesh Pandit from Ghondli and Dharmender Singh from Karawal Nagar West have also been expelled.

Complaints of anti-party activities were submitted by the party candidates in MCD polls on the instruction of Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken.