BJP relieves 28 office-bearers for joining fray for zila parishad polls against party candidates

Shimla: The Himachal Pradesh BJP on Sunday relieved 28 office-bearers from their organisational responsibilities for joining the fray for the upcoming zila parishad elections against official party candidates.

The order issued by the BJP’s state office secretary, Pramod Thakur, said strict action has been taken against the office-bearers for anti-party activities.

According to the party, the relieved persons filed nominations for the zila parishad elections against officially authorised BJP candidates.

“No individual can be above party discipline and organisational values. The BJP is a cadre-based ideological organisation where discipline and commitment are paramount. Contesting elections against officially declared BJP candidates is a serious violation of party discipline and organisational ethics,” Thakur said in a statement.

“The action has been taken to maintain organisational discipline and to send a clear message that party interests are supreme,” he added.

The gram panchayat elections will be held in three phases across Himachal Pradesh on May 26, 28 and 30 for 31,182 posts, including 21,654 gram panchayat members, 3,754 pradhans and 3,754 up-pradhans, 1,679 panchayat samiti members and 251 zila parishad members.

The results for gram panchayats, pradhans and up-pradhans would be announced on the day of polling, while those for panchayat samiti and zila parishad members would be announced on May 31.