Bellary: BJP may expel two MPs

Senior BJP leaders said the action was necessary as the party had to send out a clear signal that acts of defiance cant be tolerated. We will be losing two MPs but the party cannot turn a blind eye to anti-party activity. We have already suspended them, a BJP leader said.

According to sources,senior leader Venkaiah Naidu,who was campaigning in Bellary,had called Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj last Saturday to intimate about the anti-party activities about Shanta and Fakirappa. Sushma not only promptly sought L K Advanis counsel but consulted party president Nitin Gadkari as well as her colleague and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley. A decision was taken to suspend the two MPs and Naidu too was informed about it. The suspension notices were served on the rebel MPs late on Saturday night.

Party circles admit that the decision to expel the two MPs may also have a fallout on the relationship between former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa and partys central leadership as the latter will not have the elbow room to appear lenient against the Karnataka strongman.