BJP expels 21 members; former Congressmen switch sides

The Bhartiya Janata Party on Saturday trimmed its cadre after expelling 21 of its members, including five sitting Councillors, for six years for allegedly being involved in anti-party activities. The Congress's plans for the MCD elections, meanwhile, received a jolt as some senior leaders and workers switched sides to BJP.

The former Congressmen who are now members of the saffron party include Najafgarh Congress vice-president Ramphal Bhardwaj, Indian National Trade Union Congress leader Gajender Vats, Najafgarh Congress district secretary Mahesh Pradhan, Congress committee president Aakash Bhardwaj, social worker Md. Mukeem Ahmad and secretary of Madarsa Jia-ul-Ulm Hazi Mohamamd Yasin. The new entrants were inducted into BJP by its Delhi chief Manoj Tiwari on Saturday at a programme.

Four outgoing BJP Councillors Dr Pankaj Singh from Ranhola, Krishna Gehlot from Navada, Praveen Rajput from Sagarpur West, Sandhya Verma from Patparganj and Nikki Singh from New Ashok Nagar were expelled for contesting the civic elections against BJP's official candidates, the party said in a statement.

Former Delhi University Students' Union president Manoj Chaudhary was also expelled for anti-party activities, Delhi BJP media in-charge Praveen Shankar Kapoor said in the statement. All 21 members were expelled for six years from the party.

During the programme, Tiwari stated that the party has lodged a complaint with the State Election Commissioner against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal over his comments where he suggested that the Election Commission was helping the BJP win elections.

"We raised an objection of the statement given by Kejriwal in which he had called the Election Commission as 'Dhritrastra' and BJP as 'Duryodhana'.

Objection was also raised during the press conference on misleading charges levelled by Kejriwal against the BJP regarding hike in power and water tariff.