Shimla, October 30: BJP state president Satpal Singh Satti today expelled seven members of the party for contesting elections and working against the BJP official candidates for six years.
The BJP had denied ticket to four sitting MLAs but was able to pacify Rikhi Ram Kaundal (Jhandutta), Anil Dhiman (Bhoranj) and Gobind Sharma from (Arki). However, BK Chauhan entered the fray from Chamba.
The expelled leaders are two former MLAs Praveen Sharma from Palampur, Hriday Ram from Renukaji. Others are Lalit Thakur from Bharmaur, Baldev Thakur from Fatehpur, DK Soni from Chamba, and Hans Raj Dhiman from Jaswan Pragpur.
Rebels BK Chauhan and DK Soni are in the fray against the BJP candidate Pawan Nayyar in Chamba while Baldev Thakur is contesting against Kirpal Singh Parmar in Fatehpur, where another former BJP member Rajan Sushant, who joined AAP, is contesting as an independent. In both these constituencies, the rebels are affecting the prospects of the BJP candidates to a great extent.
In Palampur, Praveen Sharma, who is considered very close to former Chief Minister and MP from Kangra Shanta Kumar, has entered the fray against BJP official candidate Indu Goswami. Earlier, Shanta Kumar was opposed to the candidature of Goswami but the district unit sided with her and Union Health Minister J P Nadda pacified Shanta Kumar in the interest of the party.
In a triangular contest, former MLA Hriday Ram is contesting from Renukaji against the BJP’s Balbir Singh and Congress candidate Vinay Kumar and is expected to dent the BJP vote bank.
Hans Raj Dhiman is in fray against Bikram Singh in Jaswan Pragpur where nine candidates are in fray while Lalit Thakur is pitched against BJP Jia Lal in Bharmaur.
