First EX MLA and now sitting MLA Rajendra Bhandari ( Badrinath) resigns from Congress. 3 Congress leaders expelled in Pauri Garhwal district
Extremely popular in Badrinath assembly constituency lawmaker from Badrinath from Congress party Rajendra Singh Bhandari has resigned from the primary membership of the Party. In a letter addressed to Uttarakhand party president Bhandari wrote a single line letter informing that he is resigning from the primary membership of the party not mentioning the reason behind his resignation.
Rajendra Singh Bhandari was a committed Congressman but recently his wife Rajni Bhandari who is the president of District Panchayat Chamoli was found involved in two cases pertaining to the case of financial irregularities. There are reports that he was under tremendous stress and may be due to this reason he has been constrained to resign. However, resignation of a sitting only MLA in the Pauri Garhwal parliamentary constituency, especially when the election is already due for 19 th April just few days after. Meanwhile , several other Congress leaders in Pauri Garhwal constituency have been expelled from the party under anti party activities or their probably hobnobbing with the BJP. According to the senior party leader Mathura Prasad Joshi no ammount of indiscipline would be tolerated. Three leaders have been dismissed in Pauri. Keshar Singh Negi, who contested the assembly elections on Congress ticket from Chaubattakhal seat, Naval Kishore, who was the Congress candidate from Pauri assembly seat, has been expelled for 6 years. Apart from this, Congress has also expelled Pauri block chief Deepak Khugshal. The District President of Pauri Congress has also issued a letter regarding this.
The incessant defection from Congress especially its sitting MLA is a huge setback to Congress in Garhwal especially in Pauri Garhwal constituency from where former state chief Ganesh Godiyal is the candidate from Pauri Garhwal constituency. From BJP the national media incharge of BJP Anil Baluni is the party candidate.
