PANAJI
A day after it claimed that its former Cortalim MLA Alina Saldanha was expelled before she resigned, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) late on Friday evening said it had "accepted" her resignation.
"The BJP has accepted the resignation of ex-BJP MLA Alina Saldanha," State BJP president Sadanand Tanavade said, adding that the party has now decided against taking any legal action against her.
Alina had on Thursday morning submitted her resignation as MLA to the Speaker of Goa legislative assembly, Rajesh Patnekar and later resigned from the BJP before flying to Delhi and joining the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) following a meeting with its national convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
Tanavade however had claimed on Thursday that the party had "expelled" her for anti-party activity, including for consistently making comments against development projects of its government.
The change of heart party sources said, was prompted by the fact that Saldanha's knee-jerk expulsion did not synch with the BJP Constitution which says the State president may suspend (not expel) an individual followed by a show-cause notice.
Section 3 of Article XXV of the BJP Constitution which deals with disciplinary action states: "On receipt of a complaint for breach of discipline, the National President or the State President, if he so desires may suspend an individual followed by a show-cause notice within a week."
Section 6 of the same article of the BJP Constitution also says that no final decision for breach of discipline shall be taken without an opportunity being given to the individual to explain and answer charges made against him/her.
