The Kalyan district Bharatiya Janata Party today expelled three of its Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) corporators ``for anti-party activities'' after it found them guilty of cross-voting in the standing committee elections on September 13. The disciplinary action has created a furore in BJP circles as many party workers expressed their anger against district unit president Digambar Vishe for having taken such a step.

Insiders fear there may be a spate of resignations in protest. Cross-voting in the panel elections had led to the defeat of BJP candidate Vasant Suryawanshi. The then BJP leader in the House, Dinesh Tawde, had announced he would submit a written complaint against three of the party's corporators, Ramakant Upadhyay, Kalavatiben Shah and Mangesh Gaikar.

Accordingly, a show cause notice was sent to the trio on October 10 giving them two days to explain. A party meeting on October 13 saw a lot of sparks fly as Gaikar (local MLA JagannathPatil's nephew) charged Vishe with offering posts for money. He cited the example of a former BJP leader in KDMC who he alleged had paid Vishe Rs one lakh as bribe for getting the post.

Bhang worth Rs 1.25 lakh seized

The state excise department seized bhang worth over Rs 1.25 lakh from a truck at the Dahisar check naka on Sunday morning. The truck had 22 rucksacks carrying labels of `hawan samagri.' A search revealed that the rucksacks contained bhang. Police have arrested three men, including the truck driver.

Earlier, the department officials had seized illicit liquor worth over Rs 4 lakh in two separate hauls. Sub-inspectors A D Salgude and D D Rathod of the Chembur division of the excise department had on Monday last trapped a tempo carrying gallons of illicit liquor at Sion.

Correction

In the caption accompanying Nita Ambani's picture with children at Harkisondas Hospital, carried in Express Newsline dated October 16, 1999, the children were wrongly identified asbeing `leprosy-affected.' The error is regretted.