Himachal Pradesh BJP expels rebel leaders Rakesh Choudhary, ex-minister Ram Lal Markanda from party

Shimla, May 17

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The BJP in Himachal Pradesh on Friday expelled Rakesh Choudhary and former minister Ram Lal Markanda for six years after it failed to persuade them to withdraw their Assembly poll nominations as Independents.

Markanda and Choudhary have been expelled from the primary membership of the BJP for six years with immediate effect, state BJP chief Rajiv Bindal said in a statement issued here.

The efforts of BJP went futile and both the leader have not withdrawn their nominations. May 17 was the last day to withdraw the nominations.

After revolt in Congress, six Congress MLAs—Rajinder Rana (Sujanpur), Sudhir Sharma (Dharamshala), Ravi Thakur (Lahaul and Spiti), Inder Dutt Lakhanpal (Barsar), Chetanya Sharma (Gagret) and Devinder Kumar Bhutto (Kutlehar) — had voted in favour of the BJP Rajya Sabha Nominee Harsh Mahajan on February 27.

Two days later, they were disqualified for defying a party whip to be present in Vidhan Sabha and vote in favour of the government during the cut motions and budget.

These Congress rebels later joined the BJP and were given the ticket from their respective assembly seats.

Immediately after announcement of tickets to the rebels, the defeated candidates of 2022 poll were upset and Markanda, a two-time minister and three times MLA from Lahaul and Spiti assembly seat was first to quit with his supporters.

Following the decision of Congress party to field Zila Parishad Chairman Anuradha Rana from this constituency, Markanda threw the hat in the ring as an Independent, making the contest triangular with turncoat Ravi Thakur (BJP) taking on the Congress candidate.

Choudhary had lost to Sudhir Sharma in 2022 assembly polls and was vying for the Congress ticket but the party expressed solidarity with former Mayor of Dharamsala Devinder Jaggi and Choudhary entered the fray as an independent, setting the stage for a triangular fight.

Sudhir Sharma who won from Dharamsala in 2012 and 2022, had defeated Choudhary by 3,285 votes in 2022 assembly polls.