BJP President Rajnath Singh suspends five Gujarat dissident MLAs

New Delhi, July 23 (UNI) Taking punitive action against party dissidents in Gujarat, BJP President Rajnath Singh today suspended five MLAs ahead of assembly elections in the state later this year.

The MLAs are Mr Gordhan Zadafia, Mr Balubhai Tanti, Mr Becharbhai Bhadani, Mr Bavkubhai Unghad and Mr Dhirubhai Gajera.

Announcing the decision at the party's daily briefing, BJP spokesman Prakash Javadekar said the action showed that the party would not tolerate any kind of anti-party activities at any cost, indicating that "our doors are closed for them from today onwards if they do not apologise." Clarifying that the action had nothing to do with some party MLAs voting against the NDA nominee Bhairon Singh Shekhawat in the recently concluded presidential election, he said the party had been watching the activities of the legislators for quite sometime and they had been earlier called and warned. ''But they continued with their anti-party activities,'' he noted.

In reply to a question why the party had not taken any action against former Gujarat Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel, Mr Javadekar said Mr Patel had never indulged in such activities.

He said those suspended had been criticising the party leadership and the Gujarat Government and raising their personal issues in the media which the party felt, were against its discipline. They were several party fora available to them to raise their grievances but they chose to go to the media and remained defiant to the party's warnings.

Mr Javadekar said that the people of Gujarat wanted development and they had full faith in the leadership of Mr Narendra Modi. "The party is confident that the BJP government will get a third term in Gujarat," he said.

In Ahmedabad party State Secretary Vijay Roopani told UNI that the five members were suspended for six years from the party on disciplinary grounds because of their involvement in the anti-party activities.

Mr Roopani said these MLAs had launched a strident campaign against Chief Minister Narendra Modi, had been cautioned that it would act at appropriate time.

The party was waiting for the Presidential elections to get over.

Within two days of the results, the party took action against the rebels. In fact, six BJP MLAs had cast their votes in favour of Mrs Patil in the Presidential election.

UNI