Ahmednagar: NCP expels 18 corporators for supporting BJP in civic polls

Maharashtra  NCP president Jayant Patil. 

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has expelled 18 corporaters in Ahmednagar for supporting the BJP against the party’s directives.
At the recently held municipal corporation elections in Ahmednagar, 18 NCP corporators supported the BJP to get their mayor and deputy mayor elected. The BJP won 14 out of 68 seats in the Ahmednagar municipal corporation. The BJP and NCP alliance in Ahmednagar municipal corporation ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections invited strong reactions from Congress, which was unhappy and wanted NCP to clear its stand on its equations with the BJP.

State NCP president, Jayant Patil, in a statement issued on Friday said: “The 18 corporators who supported BJP in Ahmednagar have been expelled from the party. Last month, the party had issued a showcause notice seeking explanation from the corporators. But the party did not receive any explanation. As a result they have been expelled from NCP.”

The elections in Ahmednagar and Dhule municipal corporations were held in December 2018.

The BJP emerged as the winner in Dhule with absolute majority. However in Ahmednagar, the Shiv Sena was ahead of the BJP with 24 seats. But Sena turned down BJP’S response for an alliance. As a result, BJP got Nationalist Congress Party on board.