BJP warns its rebels to pull out of polls

With rebels posing a threat to official BJP nominees in a dozen constituencies, the BJP high command today warned the rebels of action if they failed to pull out of the contest now. The deadline to withdraw nominations is over.

So far, of the 19 BJP rebels contesting as Independents, only four have pulled out of the race. BJP general secretary Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said today that the party has already expelled Narendra Thakur, son of late Jagdev Chand, who was No. 2 in Shanta Kumar’s government.

Convenor of the Mitra Mandal, a group floated by BJP rebels, Thakur is working in tandem with other rebels.