Congress expels Manturam Pawar after he withdraws candidature

Opposition Congress on Friday expelled Manturam Pawar from the party who in a surprise move withdrew his candidature for the Antagarh assembly bypoll in Chhattisgarh to be held next month.

"After his consent, Pawar was nominated as the party's candidate from the seat, but he cheated us at the final moment and insulted the emotions of hundreds of party workers. Taking it seriously, the Congress party's Chhattisgarh state chief Bhupesh Baghel expelled him from the party late in the evening today," Chhattisgarh's Congress general secretary and spokesperson Shailesh Nitin Trivedi said.

Alleging a "BJP role" behind Pawar's decision, Trivedi said the BJP felt threatened after the outcome of recent bypolls in different states which went against the party.

He alleged that expecting a similar debacle in Antagarh also, the BJP took the step which is equal to the "murder of democracy".

"We have been informed that Pawar is set to join the BJP which clearly indicates that the ruling BJP is behind it," Trivedi said.

The Antagarh assembly seat in Kanker district which is under the North Bastar division, has been vacant since former state forest minister Vikram Usendi, the sitting BJP MLA, resigned from the seat after winning the recent Lok Sabha poll from the Kanker seat.

The ruling BJP, the Congress and other parties had begun preparing for elections in the insurgency-hit constituency after bypoll schedule was announced on September 13.

However, in a major setback for the Congress candidate Pawar withdrew his candidature today from contest, almost at the last moment.