Have winners been expelled?

CHANDIGARH, Dec 23: Even as the BJP rebels romped to power in the local Municipal Corporation after defeating the BJP8217;s official candidates, the dilemma over whether they stood expelled from the party or had resigned from it, continues to baffle many. The rebels, however, are no longer in the BJP inspite of their claims of continuing to be party loyalists.

BJP president Dharam Paul Gupta, besides several other BJP leaders, have, meanwhile, sought the resignations of the rebels from their councillorship since they had won on a BJP ticket. While the group of seven suspended BJP councillors claimed that they tendered their resignations from the primary membership of the party before start of polling for the mayor8217;s election, in view of the party president8217;s notice issued last night, the BJP local president Dharam Paul Gupta claimed that they automatically stood expelled from the party after they violated his notice yesterday.

The rebels said they resigned due to the quot;dictatorial attitudequot; and quot;inept handlingquot; by the local president. Gupta instead charged them with being quot;Vaghelasquot; in the party who only looked at short-term benefits,. He added that the attempts of the rebels to pressure the party to take them back, would never materialise. quot;The party would never bow to such dictatorial attitudes on the basis of groupism,quot; he said.