The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday expelled 10 of its members in Goa, nine of whom are contesting against the party in the upcoming zilla panchayat (ZP) elections. One member was expelled for alleged anti-party activities. The move comes as the party steps up efforts to maintain organisational discipline ahead of the local body polls.
Party sources said the decision was taken after repeated attempts to persuade the dissidents to withdraw their nominations failed, leaving the leadership with little choice but to act.
Expelled Members Include ZP Aspirants From Multiple Constituencies
Those expelled include Shiva Suresh Chodankar and Kartik Kudnekar from Socorro, Bhavana Naik from Shiroda, Sanjana Velip and Sanjay Velip from Guirdolim, Atish Gaonkar from Dharbandora, Sudha Gaonkar from Sanvordem, Vipin Prabhugaonkar from Poinguinim, and Atchut Prakash Naik and Rajesh Shetty from Sancoale.
According to party officials, most of the expelled members had filed nominations as rebel candidates against BJP’s officially declared nominees.
Rebellion Followed Candidate Selection Process
The BJP had conducted multiple meetings before finalising its candidates for the zilla panchayat elections. Several party members had staked claims for tickets, but the leadership decided to drop all but three sitting ZP members.
Following the announcement, some aspirants expressed dissatisfaction with the decision and chose to contest the elections independently, directly challenging BJP-backed candidates.
Party Fails to Convince Rebels to Withdraw Nominations
Sources said the party leadership engaged with the rebel candidates and urged them to withdraw from the race in the interest of party unity. However, when these efforts did not yield results, the BJP proceeded with expulsions to send a clear message on organisational discipline.
The action is seen as an attempt to prevent vote division and strengthen the party’s electoral prospects.
Alliance Strategy for Zilla Panchayat Polls
For the upcoming zilla panchayat elections, BJP has formed an alliance with the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) and independent MLAs. The BJP is contesting 40 ZP constituencies, while MGP is contesting three seats. The remaining constituencies have been left for independent candidates supported by independent MLAs.
The alliance aims to consolidate votes and ensure coordinated campaigning across constituencies.
Leadership Expresses Confidence Ahead of Polls
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant expressed confidence in the party’s prospects, stating that the BJP is expected to win 20 seats in North Goa and 14 seats in South Goa. Goa has a total of 50 zilla panchayat constituencies.
As campaigning intensifies, the expulsions underline the party’s effort to assert discipline and unity ahead of a closely watched local body election.