Days ahead of Haryana elections, 'layoffs' grip Congress, BJP; 31 expelled

Days ahead of Assembly elections in Haryana, the Congress on Monday expelled 10 leaders for alleged anti-party activities for six years. This followed a couple days after it had expelled 13 other leaders for the same period and for the same reason.

The list, released by the All India Congress Committee, featured names including Chitra Sarwara, who has filed her nominations as an independent candidate from Ambala Cantt constituency. The seat is hometurf of six-time BJP MLA Anil Vij and the Congress has named Parvinder Singh Pari as its candidate. Notably, Sarwara is the daughter of Nirmal Singh, another Congress candidate from Ambala. She had contested from the seat as an independent candidate last time as well but had lost to Vij by about 20,000 votes.

Other names in the list were Satvinder Rana, Kapoor Singh Narwal, Virender Ghoghrian, Somveer Ghasola, Manoj Kosliya, Ajit Guliya, Sharda Rathore, Lalit Nagar, and Satveer Bhana. The list was released after being approved by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge.

Congress expelled 13 leaders on Sept 27

Earlier on Friday, the party expelled 13 leaders on similar grounds for filing nominations as independent candidates. The list featured Dilbag Sandil (Uchana Kalan), Ajit Phogat (Dadri), Naresh Dhande (Guhla SC seat), Pardeep Gill (Jind), Sajjan Singh Dhull (Pundri), Vijay Jain (Panipat Rural), Abhijeet Singh (Bhiwani), Sunita Battan (Pundri), Rajiv Mamuram Gondar (Nilokheri-SC), Dayal Singh Sirohi (Nilokheri-SC), Satbir Ratera (Bawani Khera-SC), Nitu Mann (Prithla) and Anita Dhull Badsikri (Kalayat).

BJP expels Ranjit Chautala, 7 others

Besides the Congress, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has also expelled eight leaders including former Cabinet Minister Ranjit Chautala in Haryana. Chautala had resigned from his position after being denied a party ticket from Rania constituency and filed his nomination as an independent candidate.

Additionally, BJP leaders Devender Kadian contesting from Ganaur, Bachan Singh Arya (Safidon), Sandeep Garg (contesting the polls from Ladwa), Zile Ram Sharma (Assandh), Radha Ahlawat (Meham), Naveen Goel (Gurugram) and Kehar Singh Rawat (Hathin) were expelled for six years. Polling in Haryana is scheduled for 5 October and the results will be announced on 8 October.