BJP suspends seven MLAs, 8 others

AHMEDABAD: Faced with growing dissidence in its Gujarat unit, BJP on Wednesday suspended 15 members, including seven MLAs who are contesting against the party's official nominees, on the charge of anti-party activities, barely a week before the first phase of Assembly elections.
    
The suspended legislators are Tersinh Damor, Dilip Patel, Rajesh Pathak, Prahlad Patel, Ishwar Makwana, Sunil Oza and Dhanraj Kella.
    
Gujarat BJP President Purshottam Rupala decided to immediately suspend the 15 persons, a party release said.
    
The others suspended are Ishwarbhai Raut, Rajnikant Rajwadi, Indranath Parmar, Magansinh Vaghela, Prabhudasbhai Patel, Rajabhai Charia, Chunibhai Gohil and Jyantibhai Bhambhaniya, it added.
    
All the suspended MLAs are contesting against the official BJP nominees as independents or as candidates of other political parties. The two-phase polling will he held on December 11 and 16.