In its ongoing crackdown against ‘anti-party’ activities, the BJP state executive on Tuesday suspended two central Gujarat leaders, former MP Babu Katara and Dharmendrasinh Vaghela. The action has come days after the BJP suspended more than 25 party leaders in north Gujarat for going against the party orders ahead of the Assembly elections. According to party sources, state BJP chief Jitu Vaghani suspended the leaders after the party noted Vaghela’s Independent candidature from Waghodia against party candidate and sitting MLA Madhu Shrivastav. The party has also not taken kindly to Katara’s alleged leanings towards the Congress. The Congress has fielded his son Bhavesh Katara from Jhalod (ST reserved seat) in Dahody. A senior party functionary said, “Both Vaghela and Katara have gone against the party. There was no way that the party would have accepted this. We are better off without such people.” This is not the first time that the party has suspended Katara. While Katara was behind bars for a year, the BJP suspended him when he sought bail to vote in favour of Congress-led UPA government in the no-confidence motion in 2008. Both Katara and Vaghela were unavailable for comment.
