Nationalist Congress Party expels 18 corporators who voted for BJP's Mayoral candidate

MUMBAI: Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Saturday expelled 18 corporators of Ahmednagar Municipal Corporation after they defied party diktat and voted for BJP's mayoral candidate in December's civic polls. 

The party also suspended its Ahmednagar district president Manikrao Vidhate for his failure to know and inform the party's top command about the defection.

The 18 newly-elected corporators in Maharashtra's Ahmednagar voted in favour of BJP's mayoral candidate Babasaheb Wakale, leading to his victory in the polls.

"They were served show cause notice and were asked to explain their action. However, they have not responded to the notice. Hence, the corporators have been expelled from the party," said State NCP president Jayant Patil told news agency PTI.

"Vidhate has not even responded to the showcause notice," he added.

Despite lacking the numbers, the BJP, with the support of NCP corporators, won the election for Mayor in the Ahmednagar Municipal Corporation in Maharashtra.

Amid high drama, the BJP - Sena's senior alliance partner in the state - managed to install its candidate Babasaheb Wakale as Mayor.

The BJP had only 14 members in the 68-member civic body against Shiv Sena's 24. But the BJP candidate polled 37 votes in the mayoral election. 

Apart from NCP corporators, four members of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and an independent corporator too voted for Wakale.