Shimla – In a significant move ahead of the by-elections for six assembly seats and the Lok Sabha elections in Himachal Pradesh, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has initiated disciplinary action against party rebels. Dr. Ramlal Markanda, a former BJP MLA and cabinet minister from Lahaul-Spiti, and Rakesh Chaudhary, the BJP candidate from the Dharamshala assembly constituency in 2022, have been expelled from the party for six years.
The expulsion follows both leaders’ decisions to file their nominations as independent candidates against the official party candidates. This defiance prompted BJP State President Dr. Rajeev Bindal to take strict disciplinary measures.
The BJP has fielded Ravi Thakur, a former Congress member, as its candidate in the Lahaul-Spiti by-election. Dr. Ramlal Markanda, dissatisfied with this choice, resigned from the BJP and submitted his nomination as an independent candidate. Meanwhile, the Congress has nominated Anuradha Rana for the same seat, setting the stage for a potential three-way contest.
In the Dharamshala constituency, the BJP has nominated Sudhir Sharma, another ex-Congress member. Rakesh Chaudhary, discontented with this selection, has also filed his nomination as an independent candidate. The Congress has put forward Devendra Jaggi as their candidate, creating another triangular contest in this crucial seat.
