The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Gujarat on Sunday suspended seven party leaders, including two former MLAs, from running as independent candidates, after being denied tickets in the upcoming state Assembly elections, news agency PTI reported.
The seven candidates are running for seats in the first phase of the elections, which will take place on December 1.
In a statement, the BJP stated, "These leaders have filed their nominations as independent candidates against the candidates declared by the party. They are being suspended on the direction of the state BJP president C R Paatil."
State party president Paatil previously told reporters that it is a standard practice to suspend leaders who attempt to run as independents against party candidates if they do not withdraw their candidacy by the deadline, PTI reported.
Former MLAs Arvind Ladani, who won the Keshod constituency in 2012, and Harshad Vasava, who won the Scheduled Tribe-reserved seat of Nandod, were suspended by the party after they submitted independent nominations for both seats.
The BJP has fielded Dr Darshana Deshmukh from Nandod and Devabhai Malam from Keshod.
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The saffron party also suspended Chhatarsinh Gunjariya, a Surendranagar district panchayat member, when he filed an independent nomination for the Dhrangadhra seat.
Other suspended politicians who have filed nominations as independents from Pardi, Rajkot, Veraval, and Rajula seats include Ketan Patel, Bharat Chavda, Uday Shah, and Karan Baraiya.
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Several BJP leaders have come out in the open to express their dissatisfaction at being refused tickets and have proclaimed their intention to run as independents, PTI reported.
Madhu Shrivastav, a six-time MLA from Vaghodia who was denied a ticket, has also filed nomination papers as an independent. The BJP has chosen Ashwin Patel to run for the seat.
Dinesh Patel, alias Dinu Mama, a former BJP MLA from Padra in Vadodara district, has also filed his nomination papers as an independent.
The BJP has nominated Chaitanyasinh Zala for the seat.
On December 5, both Vaghodia and Padra will vote in the second round of elections. The BJP has not yet suspended Shrivastav and Patel, two former MLAs.
At least 788 candidates are running in the first round of elections for 89 seats, which will take place on December 1.
The second round of voting for 93 constituencies will take place on December 5, and the results for all 182 Assembly seats will be declared on December 8.
(With Inputs From PTI)