 "BJP expels Jaswant Singh's son Manvendra from national executive")
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday expelled rebel party leader Jaswant Singh’s son, Manvendra, from its national executive for campaigning against the party’s official candidate from the Barmer Lok Sabha constituency, Chaudhary Sonaram. Manvendra is the BJP’s MLA from the Sheo Assembly constituency in Barmer.
Party sources said this could be a precursor to Manvendra’s expulsion from the party. Manvendra continued to defy the party, though it had warned him against campaigning for his father.
According to party leaders, Manvendra had not been attending party election meetings to canvass support for its official candidate.
Jaswant had sought the party ticket from Barmer. He had informed the party he wanted to contest his “last election” from his home turf. He had termed it a matter of his "honour". But the BJP stuck to its central election committee's decision to field Congress defector Sonaram.
Rajasthan BJP president Ashok Parnami had asked the party’s central unit to take disciplinary action against Manvendra, as the party’s constitution does not allow its state units to take such an action against a national executive member.
Acting on the state unit’s complaint, BJP president Rajnath Singh on Thursday dismissed Manvendra from the party’s top body. Now, the state unit can take further action against Manvendra.
BJP general secretary J P Nadda wrote to Parnami about the party president’s decision. He authorised Parnami as the state unit chief to take "further action".
The state unit wants Manvendra to be expelled. Manvendra was an MP from Barmer in 2004 but lost the 2009 election to Congress’ Harish Chaudhary.
Manvendra is said to have been upset that Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje didn’t induct him into the state Cabinet.
Party sources said this could be a precursor to Manvendra’s expulsion from the party. Manvendra continued to defy the party, though it had warned him against campaigning for his father.
According to party leaders, Manvendra had not been attending party election meetings to canvass support for its official candidate.
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Earlier this month, the BJP had expelled Jaswant from the party for six years for his decision to contest as an independent candidate. The party had appealed to Jaswant to withdraw his nomination.
Jaswant had sought the party ticket from Barmer. He had informed the party he wanted to contest his “last election” from his home turf. He had termed it a matter of his "honour". But the BJP stuck to its central election committee's decision to field Congress defector Sonaram.
Rajasthan BJP president Ashok Parnami had asked the party’s central unit to take disciplinary action against Manvendra, as the party’s constitution does not allow its state units to take such an action against a national executive member.
Acting on the state unit’s complaint, BJP president Rajnath Singh on Thursday dismissed Manvendra from the party’s top body. Now, the state unit can take further action against Manvendra.
BJP general secretary J P Nadda wrote to Parnami about the party president’s decision. He authorised Parnami as the state unit chief to take "further action".
The state unit wants Manvendra to be expelled. Manvendra was an MP from Barmer in 2004 but lost the 2009 election to Congress’ Harish Chaudhary.
Manvendra is said to have been upset that Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje didn’t induct him into the state Cabinet.