Congress today "expelled" 19 leaders including former Union minister Rao Inderjit Singh and two others who contested the April 10 Lok Sabha elections as BJP-HJC alliance nominees.
Another former Union Minister Venod Sharma, who was once a close aide of Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, has also been also expelled from Congress, Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) President Ashok Tanwar said.
A party release said the 19 leaders have been "expelled" from Congress for anti-party activities and for working against the party candidates during the elections.
Rao Inderjit Singh and Dharambir had contested as BJP nominees from Gurgaon and Mahendargarh-Bhiwani respectively.
Dharambir, who was Congress MLA from Sohana and chief parliamentary secretary in the Hooda-led Congress ministry, resigned just before the Lok Sabha elections.
Sushil Indora, who had joined Congress after a long tenure in the Om Parkash Chautala-led Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), has contested as a candidate of Kuldeep Bishnoi led HJC-BL from Sirsa SC Lok Sabha constituency.
Venod Sharma had resigned from Congress in early March and was eyeing the Karnal Lok Sabha seat on behalf of BJP and then later as an alliance of saffron party HJC-BL nominee, but was not nominated following opposition from Sushma Swaraj and some other BJP leaders.
The period of expulsion was not stated in the release whereas in the past the party had mentioned the expulsion period as "six years."
Efforts to contact Tanwar proved futile as he was not reachable for a clarification on the period of expulsion of the 19 leaders.
