Cracking a whip on lawmakers who cross-voted in the Rajya Sabha election, the Congress on Wednesday expelled eight MLAs, including former Leader of the Opposition Shankersinh Vaghela, from the party for six years.
Those who have been expelled are Mr. Vaghela’s son Mahendrasinh, C.K. Raolji, Karamshi Patel, Amit Chaudhary, Bhola Gohil, Raghavji Patel and Dharmendrasinh Jadeja, who voted against the party candidate Ahmed Patel, defied the party whip and voted for Balwantsinh, a BJP candidate.
“They were working against the party by voting against the party’s nominee in the Rajya Sabha poll where every legislator was required to follow the party’s whip,” Gujarat Congress president Bharatsinh Solanki told The Hindu .
Legal recourse
The party is likely to pursue legal recourse to ensure that the expelled legislators cannot contest any election for six years.
“There is a Supreme Court judgment under which any legislator or MP who has voted defying the party whip stands disqualified as a legislator or MP and also gets debarred from contesting any election for six years,” Mr. Solanki added.
