Ranchi: Jharkhand state Congress committee expelled 11 party leaders including four former legislators from the party for six years on charges of defection, indiscipline and anti-party activities on Tuesday.
State Congress president Sukhdev Bhagat suspended the primary membership of senior party leader Roshanlal Bhatia for allegedly speaking against him and breaking party�s discipline. This was informed by party spokesperson Lal Kishore Nath Shahdeo.
The other leaders, some of whom former party members, whose names were struck off the party�s membership list included Chandrashekhar Dubey alias Dadai Dubey, Niyel Tirkey, Stephen Marandi, Israel Ansari, Rajesh Mandal and Shashi Tirkey. Dubey joined Trinamool Congress after falling out with Chief Minister Hemant Soren. Rajesh Mandal is the former president of state youth Congress while Tirkey is the former state secretary of the party.
Party sources said the decision regarding expulsion was taken during a meeting of the party�s discipline committee convened in the state Capital under the chairmanship of Bhagat. Ansari too, joined Dubey while Niyel contested on AJSU ticket from Khunti on being denied a ticket by Congress.
He is the former MLA of Simdega. Stephen Marandi quit the party and joined hands with Jharkhand Vikas Morcha leader Babulal Marandi. Tirkey also joined Trinamool Congress.
