LUCKNOW: BSP chief Mayawati expelled the party candidate from Muzaffarnagar's Budhana assembly constituency,
Mohammad Arif, after he strangely disappeared into a jungle five days ago only to come back home on Saturday morning.
Arif, who was quizzed by the police vis-a-vis his disappearance, is reported to have told the cops that he "left for jungle because of family discord''.
BSP national general secretary Naseemuddin Siddiqui said that Arif brought utter shame to the party because of his act. "The party has thus not only cancelled his ticket, but has also expelled him,'' he said, while speaking to TOI.
The BSP had given 42-year-old Delhi based businessman the ticket from Budhana assembly constituency after cancelling ticket of another candidate, Naeem Malik, who later found himself at the centre of the controversy around disappearance of Arif. It was alleged that Naeem abducted him to take revenge of cancellation of ticket.
Siddiqui said that a family discord was his own problem and should not have been reflected on the party at this crucial juncture. He said that the party would announce its new candidate soon.