Luxar MLA may escape with a stern warning

Tribune News Service 

Dehradun, July 18

Sanjay Gupta, BJP MLA from Luxar, who was served a show-cause notice on Sunday for his alleged anti-party and anti-government statement by the BJP leadership, is the third MLA who has been reprimanded by the state party and asked to explain his conduct. 

Earlier, Khanpur MLA Pranav Kumar Champion was served notice for publicly questioning the leadership of Chief Minister TS Rawat. Rajkumar Thukral, MLA from Rudrapur, too was served notice for his alleged role in beating up a woman belonging to the SC community. 

However, in both cases the party did not initiate any strong action against the MLAs and a middle path was sought and both the MLAs were let off lightly. 

In the case of Sanjay Gupta too, who has been given 10 days to explain to the show-cause notice, speculation is rife that he too may be let off with a stern warning. Gupta had created a storm with his remarks against the Chief Minister saying he had found time to attend the marriage of a BSP leader’s son, instead of visiting the BJP MLA’’s constituency.

Political watchers say Gupta’s alleged remarks are a result of the turf battle going on between Cabinet minister Madan Kaushik and MLAs from Haridwar district for the control of Haridwar. Both Sanjay Gupta and Yateshwaranand (MLA from Haridwar rural) have voiced their discontent against the control that Kaushik is seemingly exercising in Haridwar.

Earlier, Uttarakhand Tourism minister Satpal Maharaj too had a tiff with Kaushik on the issue of garbage which was allegedly thrown at the behest of Kaushik’s supporter outside the ashram run by Maharaj. 

While the Chief Minister termed the entire episode as an internal matter of the party, Gupta since then has mellowed down and refused to comment on the issue further.