BJP Expels Leader For Contesting As Independent In Rajasthan Elections

The BJP's Rajasthan unit on Wednesday expelled former Union Minister and Assembly Speaker, Kailash Meghwal from the primary membership of the party for entering the fray for the Rajasthan Assembly polls as an Independent.

It is understood that Mr Mehghwal had been eyeing a ticket to contest the Shahpura Assembly segment and announced himself as an Independent candidate from the seat after he failed to secure a saffron ticket.

Treating his decision to contest as an Independent against a declared BJP candidate as a matter of indiscipline, the BJP state unit promptly expelled the former Union minister.

Speaking to ANI, Omkar Singh Lakhawat, the chairman of the Disciplinary Committee of the BJP's Rajasthan unit, confirmed that the party considered his act as a "breach of discipline".

The BJP, earlier, fielded Lalaram Bairwa as its Assembly poll candidate from the Shahpura constituency.

In 2018, Alok Beniwal won as an independent against Manish Yadav of the Congress by a relatively close margin of 3,855 votes.

Earlier, the BJP's state unit had similarly expelled the former state president of the party's Scheduled Tribe Morcha for contesting the upcoming state elections as an Independent from the Bassi constituency against an officially declared candidate.

Rajasthan will go to polls on November 25 and the counting of votes will take place on December 3.

In the 2018 Assembly elections, the Congress won 99 seats while the BJP finished a close second at 73 seats in the 200-member House.

The Congress formed the government with support from the BSP and Independents, with Ashok Gehlot taking oath as chief minister.

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