Barmer, Rajasthan:
After the BJP expelled a defiant Jaswant Singh, his son Manvendra faces action for reportedly campaigning for his father in Barmer, Rajasthan. Sources say the party is contemplating action against him and has asked him to "pick a side."
Jaswant Singh, 76, is contesting as an independent candidate from Barmer after the BJP chose an import from Congress, Sonaram Chowdhury, as its candidate.
Sources say BJP workers have complained that Manvendra, a legislator from Sheo in Barmer, has been campaigning for his father instead of the BJP candidate.
On Monday, four senior party workers were suspended for supporting Jaswant Singh.
Sources say party workers have submitted "evidence" to their leaders against Manvendra, in the form of photographs and videos. Singh junior was reportedly also photographed in Jaswant Singh's election office.
"Morally, he should have resigned from the BJP if he wanted to campaign for his father," Rajasthan BJP chief Ashok Parnami told NDTV. "I am going to take full feedback on this. Our party constitution states that if anybody campaigns against the official candidate, they can be expelled without notice."
Manvendra, 50, has taken a month's leave from the party citing poor health. His wife and mother have reportedly been involved in Jaswant Singh's campaign.
Manvendra, who was a journalist and has also been with the territorial army, won the Barmer seat in 2004. He had then defeated Sonaram Chowdhury, the current BJP candidate. He lost the parliamentary election in 2009, after which he contested and won in the Rajasthan assembly polls last year.
His father Jaswant Singh has never contested from Barmer but had told his party that he wanted to fight what could be his last election from the place of his birth. After he refused to withdraw from the contest, the party expelled him for six months.
Jaswant Singh, 76, is contesting as an independent candidate from Barmer after the BJP chose an import from Congress, Sonaram Chowdhury, as its candidate.
Sources say BJP workers have complained that Manvendra, a legislator from Sheo in Barmer, has been campaigning for his father instead of the BJP candidate.
On Monday, four senior party workers were suspended for supporting Jaswant Singh.
Sources say party workers have submitted "evidence" to their leaders against Manvendra, in the form of photographs and videos. Singh junior was reportedly also photographed in Jaswant Singh's election office.
"Morally, he should have resigned from the BJP if he wanted to campaign for his father," Rajasthan BJP chief Ashok Parnami told NDTV. "I am going to take full feedback on this. Our party constitution states that if anybody campaigns against the official candidate, they can be expelled without notice."
Manvendra, 50, has taken a month's leave from the party citing poor health. His wife and mother have reportedly been involved in Jaswant Singh's campaign.
Manvendra, who was a journalist and has also been with the territorial army, won the Barmer seat in 2004. He had then defeated Sonaram Chowdhury, the current BJP candidate. He lost the parliamentary election in 2009, after which he contested and won in the Rajasthan assembly polls last year.
His father Jaswant Singh has never contested from Barmer but had told his party that he wanted to fight what could be his last election from the place of his birth. After he refused to withdraw from the contest, the party expelled him for six months.
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