Amid intense poll campaigning, Gujarat BJP suspends a dozen party men for indiscipline

Facing unprecedented rebellion since the distribution of Assembly tickets, the ruling BJP on Tuesday suspended 12 more leaders from the party, including six-term MLA Madhu Shrivastav and Congress turncoat Dhavalsinh Zala — who had joined BJP along with close associate Alpesh Thakor in 2019.

Earlier on Sunday, BJP had suspended seven other leaders, including two former MLAs, for indiscipline.

In a statement, the party said that 12 leaders who have filed their nomination for contesting Assembly polls as Independent candidates for the second phase of elections were suspended by order of the party’s Gujarat president C R Paatil.

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The list includes former MLA Dinesh Patel alias Dinu Mama contesting from the Padra seat in the Vadodara district.

Similarly, six-term MLA and controversial leader Madhu Shrivastav, who had openly voiced against the party after he was not repeated, was also suspended. Shrivastav is a sitting MLA from Waghodia seat in the Vadodara district. Dhavalsinh Zala is an ex-MLA from Bayad in the Aravalli district who had joined BJP after leaving Congress with his close associate Alpesh Thakor. Zala’s supporters had staged a protest in front of BJP headquarters, Kamalam, in Gandhinagar and forced the party to shut its gate, a rare occasion for the ruling party.

Thakor and Zala had joined BJP in 2019 after cross-voting during the Rajya Sabha election in favour of BJP candidates. Both had contested the by-election but lost to their Congress rivals. BJP has fielded Thakor from Gandhinagar north seat while Zala was not included in the list.

The other names include Jitu Pagi, S M Khant, J P Patel, Ramesh Zala, Ramsinh Thakor, Mavji Desai and Lekhaji Thakor.