Uttarakhand BJP expels four persons for working against panchayat poll candidates backed by party

Dehradun: Uttarakhand BJP on Tuesday expelled four workers and office bearers for working against party-supported nominees in the ongoing panchayat polls in the state. The party’s state unit general secretary Rajendra Bhandari issued the letter expelling four more party functionaries on the direction of state BJP president Ajay Bhatt. [caption id=“attachment_6957101” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. Reuters[/caption] Dehradun district BJP Mahila Morcha president Maya Pant was among those expelled from the party on Tuesday. This takes the total number of party workers expelled by the BJP for anti-party activities so far to 94, state BJP media in-charge Devendra Bhasin said. They have been expelled for working against BJP supported panchayat poll candidates, he said. State BJP president and Nainital MP Ajay Bhatt had said discipline is the party’s topmost priority and those who breach it will be dealt with sternly. The party has served notice with similar charges to its MLA from Raipur in Dehradun district Umesh Sharma Kau and sought an explanation from him within three days. Kau was served a notice on 6 October after an audio clip went viral in which he was heard purportedly asking for votes for an independent candidate instead of the one backed by the party in the ongoing panchayat polls. The first phase of the three-phased panchayat polls was held in Uttarakhand on 5 October.