Dehradun: Despite the end of the process for the withdrawal of nomination papers, the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress have continued their efforts to persuade their rebel candidates contesting the urban local bodies’ elections in different areas. Both the parties want the rebel candidates to announce their support for the official nominees of their parties concerned.
While the ruling BJP has given three-day times to the party’s rebel candidates before initiating disciplinary action against them, the Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) has sought reports from the presidents of district units as well as city units regarding the Congress party’s rebel candidates who are in the fray.
Congress wit for the reports from districts before taking action against its rebel candidates
Apart from the presence of its rebel candidates in the fray, the Congress party is also facing problems dealing with the party leaders who, unhappy with the distribution of the party tickets, have given their support to the independent candidates in different areas of the state. Now, the UPCC is waiting for the report of the presidents of district and city units to identify such leaders. The Congress party recently received a setback after the UPCC’s vice president Mathura Dutt Joshi resigned from the primary membership of the party and subsequently joined the BJP. Joshi was associated with the Congress party for more than four decades.
BJP extended date for acting against its rebel candidates
On the contrary, the ruling BJP is trying to persuade more than 50 rebel candidates to announce their support for the party’s official nominee. Sources said the BJP is reluctant to lose its old workers and thus, it has engaged the coordinators, appointed by the party in every local body, to talk to the rebel candidates. The party coordinators will try to convince the rebel candidates to toe the party line in the local bodies’ elections. BJP’s state leadership is in touch with the district unit chiefs as well as in-charges of the districts to bring the situation under its control. The party may take disciplinary action against rebel candidates after January 8.
