Valsad district BJP president Hemant Kansara has sent show-cause notices to 20 rebel leaders and active party members for contesting the local body elections in Valsad, Dharampur and Pardi Municipalities either as independent candidates or under rival political parties.

Hemant Kansara, the Valsad district BJP president, stated, “We have issued show-cause notices to 20 BJP active members and leaders who acted against the party mandate or those leaders who pushed their family members to contest the elections. We have started receiving replies to the show-cause notices. We will go through the details, and if the reply is unsatisfactory, we will suspend them from the party for six years.”

Elections to the state's 66 municipalities, three taluka panchayats and the Junagadh Municipal Corporation local bodies are scheduled to be held on February 16. BJP, Congress, AAP leaders and independent candidates are present in the poll fray. Valsad Municipality has 11 wards and a total of 44 seats. However, elections will be conducted for only 33 seats, as BJP candidates secured victory unopposed in seven seats.

On February 4, the final day for withdrawing nominations, candidates from Congress, AAP, and independents withdrew their candidature. Similarly, Dharampur Municipality, which has 28 seats across seven wards, will see elections for 25 seats, as the BJP won three seats uncontested. In Pardi Municipality, which also has 28 seats across seven wards, elections will be held for 27 seats, with one BJP candidate winning unopposed.

Before the nomination process began, several BJP leaders and active party workers who had hoped to secure a party ticket but were denied decided to rebel. In response, they are now contesting the elections either as independent candidates or under the banners of Congress or AAP.

Concerned about the potential damage to the party’s image, Kansara issued show-cause notices on Monday evening. Among those targeted, 17 are contesting in Valsad Municipality, two in Dharampur, and three in Pardi. The candidates have been given until Tuesday evening to submit their responses.

Kansara informed Indian Express, “We have checked and found that in Valsad Municipality, four BJP active members are contesting from the Congress party and remaining as independents. Similarly, in Dharampur, two BJP rebel leaders are contesting — one from the Congress and another as an independent. In Pardi, one BJP member is contesting from the Congress.”