New Delhi:  Before the polls, the merry-go-round of politicians switching sides has begun.  The Delhi BJP  expelled its 21 members, including five sitting councillors, from the party for six years (April 15) for allegedly being involved in the anti-party activites ahead of the April 23 MCD polls.

Four outgoing councillors Dr Pankaj Singh from Ranhola, Krishna Gehlot from Navada, Praveen Rajput from Sagarpur West, Sandhya Verma (Patparganj), and Nikki Singh from New Ashok Nagar were expelled for contesting the civic elections against the party’s official candidates, the party said in a statement.

Also, party leader and former Delhi University Students’ Union president Manoj Chaudhary has been expelled for the anti-party activities, Delhi BJP media incharge Praveen Shankar Kapoor said in the statement, adding that all the 21 were expelled for six years from the party.

The BJP, in this year’s polls to the three civic bodies, has decided not to give tickets to all its sitting councillors in the three corporations.

Most of the around 140 councillors have abide by the party decision, but a section has been involved in the anti- party activities, said a party leader.

About nine councilors had filed nominations against the party’s official candidates. A couple of sitting councilors have switched over to Congress against the party decision.

Voting for 272 wards of three municipal corporations will be held on April 23 and countiung of votes will take place on April 26.

However, some Congress workers and a candidate of AAP in MCD bypolls last year, Sunita Tokas, today joined the BJP.

  elections