New Delhi, December 21
Cracking its whip against the rebels in Gujarat, the BJP on Friday issued show cause notices to veteran leaders Keshubhai Patel and Kashiram Rana, and suspended two of its Lok Sabha members for “hurting” party’s interests during the Assembly polls.

Patel, who was the rallying point for the detractors of Chief Minister Narendra Modi, and Rana were accused of “sabotaging” the party’s poll prospects through their public statements which ‘helped’ the ruling BJP’s political rivals in the state.

Both of them were asked to explain within a week as to why they made such statements “which damaged the party’s poll efforts”.

Along with Patel and Rana, who is an MP from Surat, BJP chief Rajnath Singh also acted against two other MPs — Vallabhai Kathiria and Somabhai Patel — suspending them from the party’s primary membership for “indiscipline”.

Patel, a former chief minister, was hauled up for making public statements, criticising the party leadership and issuing those in the form of an advertisement. The action against Rana was taken for his controversial remark that a “wave of change” was sweeping Gujarat, which the party said meant that the BJP would lose in the elections. — PTI