Chhattisgarh BJP sacks a party MP, suspends another

Raipur, Jan 7 (IANS) The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Chhattisgarh has sacked a prominent leader of an influential community in the state and suspended another, charging them with anti-party activities.

The BJP Tuesday expelled party MP from Durg Tara Chand Sahu and suspended Rajya Sabha MP Shiv Pratap Singh for their alleged anti-party activities in the state's November assembly poll. Sahu is a prominent leader from the Other Backward Classes (OBC) while Singh is a tribal leader. The BJP won the polls retaining power.

Sahu was accused of whipping up a local versus outsider issue during the polls and targeting his campaign against former assembly speaker Premprakash Pandey of the BJP who lost his Bhilai assembly seat.

Singh, according to party sources, inspired his son to contest as an independent candidate against a BJP nominee from Bhatgaon constituency in Surguja district. The BJP, however, won the seat.

BJP leaders are maintaining silence over the moves, though some privately say they would cost the party dear in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Of the total 20.08 million people in the state, OBC make up around 50 percent and tribals 32 percent.

'Surely the OBC and tribals decide the fate of parties in Chhattisgarh. But the BJP had no option but to punish both the MPs who openly defied party's constitution in the November assembly polls and worked against party candidates,' a BJP leader told IANS.

The BJP has nine out of state's 11 Lok Sabha seats.