Owing to internal strife and one-upmanship with the saffron party, four senior BJP leaders, including a two-time Municipal Council president have been expelled from the party for six years over alleged anti-party activities during the recently concluded MC polls. Those expelled include two-time MC President Ashwani Grover, former Municipal Councillors Rajesh Kumar Nindi and Manish Dhawan, besides BJP leader Rohit Dhawan.While divulging the details, Sarabjeet Singh Bobby Bath, District BJP president, said that the decision was taken by the party leadership after deliberations with the internal disciplinary committee. Bobby said that the BJP was a disciplined and ideology-based organisation where workers and leaders are expected to uphold the party’s principles and organisational norms. He added that the party’s policies, decisions and vision must be respected by all office-bearers and workers alike.It is pertinent to mention that during the recently concluded Municipal Council elections, all four leaders or their family members had contested either as independents or on tickets of other political parties. While Ashwani Grover had contested as an independent candidate from Ward No. 28 under leadership of former gangster-turned-politician Chandan Kumar alias Chandu, the wives of Rajesh Kumar Nindi and Manish Dhawan had contested as independent candidates from Wards No. 23 and 27, respectively, while Rohit Dhawan’s wife had contested the polls as a SAD candidate from Ward No. 25.When contacted, Ashwani Grover said he only came to know about his expulsion through social media, adding that no notice had been served upon him. “I joined the party in 1987 and have served it for nearly three decades. I do not wish to comment on the issue at this stage. As of now, I accept the party’s decision,” he said.Meanwhile, Manish Dhawan rejected the allegations and termed the action politically motivated. He said that his wife had contested the election from Ward No. 27 as an independent candidate only after her nomination papers as BJP candidate were rejected during the scrutiny. He claimed that BJP National Executive Member Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi and his son Anumit Sodhi had themselves campaigned in her favour. Dhawan alleged that certain leaders were trying to weaken the party from within due to their own vested interests.