BJP piles pressure on Manvendra, starts probe

A two-member committee of BJP on Friday reached Barmer to look into complaints of alleged anti-party activities against party MLA and expelled leader Jaswant Singh’s son Manvendra Singh, who is under pressure to quit the party or face disciplinary action.

BJP’s state unit vice president Onkar Singh Lakhawat and senior MP Bhupendra Singh Yadav will examine facts before preparing a final report against Manvendra, who has been attending his father and rebel candidate Jaswant Singh’s poll meetings against the party’s official nominee.

“Since morning there are a number of complaints against Manvendra Singh, a party legislator from Shiv constituency, for attending his father’s poll campaign in the Barmer constituency,” said Lakhawat.
“Many party workers told us that Manvendra has been involved in his father’s poll activities and not following party’s ethics and principles.”

“We are examining more facts and figures and we will arrive Jaipur tomorrow to take up the matter further with the party functionaries with a report,” he added.

On Thursday, BJP’s Rajasthan unit had asked Manvendra to quit the party on moral grounds or face disciplinary action as he was actively supporting his father against BJP’s official candidate Sona Ram. “Besides the legislator’s alleged indiscipline, some party workers also complained that people from neighbouring Pakistan and those who live in Barmer border district are active in this year’s Lok Sabha polls here,” Lakhawat said.

“This is highly objectionable as Pakistan’s alleged poll-related activities could affect the poll prospects in Barmer. We are going to file a complaint with the Election Commission in this regard,” he said.