Expelled leader back in BJP

Gupta, along with his supporters including Shravan Kumar, Amrit lal Anand and J.L. Sodhi, rejoined the party at a function organised at the Sector 30 Agrasen Bhavan, here today. Among those who attended the function were: BJP local president Dharam Pal Gupta, former mayor Gian Chand Gupta, MP Satya Pal Jain, party senior leaders Purshottam Mahajan and Yashpal Mahajan.

Gupta was expelled from the party nearly two years ago when he contested as an independent candidate in the MC polls after being denied the party ticket. He lost the elections to a Congress candidate by some 150 votes.

It is learnt that during the last Lok Sabha elections, the party tried in vain to persuade Gupta to rejoin but he chose to support SJP candidate Harmohan Dhavan.

The party spokesperson said Gupta had decided to return to the party fold "unconditionally." Gupta said that he was determined not to join any other party all this while and he wanted to either return to the BJP or form his own party.

Meanwhile, Ranjana Shahi, councillor from Ward No. 17, has been appointed official spokesperson of the BJP’s local unit. She is a member of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha’s national executive and member of the BJP’s state executive.

Stressing that Shahi is the Chandigarh BJP’s first woman spokesperson, its president, D.P. Gupta, said she had been appointed to "reinforce the party’s commitment to bringing women leaders to the forefront".