Veteran leader Khushal Behal expelled from Congress

Gurdaspur, Feb 8 (UNI) Veteran Congress leader and local MLA, Khushal Behal has been expelled from the primary membership of the party for a period of six years for not extending support to the party's candidates in the assembly elections.

The expulsion order was issued here today by Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on behalf of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) chief Shamsher Singh Dullo. Capt Singh claimed that he had consulted the PPCC chief on this issue.

Mr Behal is the third Congress MLA to be expelled, after Raj Kumar Gupta and Raj Khurana, both of whom have joined the BJP. Mr Khurana is the BJP candidate from the Rajpura assembly constituency.

Besides, Capt Singh also announced the expulsion of Raman Behal, son of Mr Khushal Behal and President of the Gurdaspur Municipal Committee. Capt Singh claimed that the father and son were not supporting the Congress candidate from Gurdaspur, Pritam Singh Bhinder, husband of former MP, the late Mrs Sukhbans Kaur Bhinder.

The elder Behal has represented the Gurdaspur assembly constituency a number of times. He remained a minister in the governments headed by the late Giani Zail Singh, the late Darbara Singh and the late Beant Singh.

He was made the School Education minister in 2002, when Capt Singh became the chief minister. However later on he was dropped on grounds that his performance was below average.

The expulsion of Mr Behal is not likely to go down well with his supporters, who may now openly come out in support of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) candidate Gurbachan Singh Babehali. The SAD candidate too was a member of the Congress party, but quit after Mr Bhinder, a former Delhi police commissioner was given the party ticket.

Meanwhile Capt Singh has sounded a last warning to the Congress rebels who were opposing the official candidates of the party, and asked them to retire from the contest immediately and extend all support and cooperation to the party candidates.

UNI