📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Ajit Anjum
Politics
BJP Ousts Senior Leader Ajay Rai Ahead of 2027 Elections in Varanasi
✍️ Amar Ujala · Delhi
🗓 03 Nov 2026, 05:16 AM
👁 14
A senior BJP figure who had publicly opposed Prime Minister Narendra Modi in three Lok Sabha polls and faced protests in Varanasi was expelled from the party months before the 2027 electoral battle.
Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh – The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) removed senior leader Ajay Rai from its ranks a few months before the scheduled 2027 Lok Sabha contest. Rai, a former minister in the Yogi Adityanath government, had become a focal point of dissent after openly clapping against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in three consecutive general elections.
His removal follows a series of public protests in Varanasi, where local BJP legislators and supporters gathered to voice anger over his actions. Party insiders say the decision was taken to curb internal dissent and present a unified front ahead of the upcoming electoral battle.
While the party has not issued a detailed statement, sources close to the leadership indicated that Rai's outspoken stance and the growing unrest among party cadres made his continued association untenable. The move underscores the BJP's intent to tighten discipline as it prepares for the 2027 polls.
Political analysts note that expelling a figure of Rai's stature signals a broader strategy to marginalise dissenters within the party, especially those who have challenged the Prime Minister's leadership in the past.
The development adds another layer of intrigue to the political dynamics in Uttar Pradesh, a state that remains crucial for any national party's electoral calculations.
His removal follows a series of public protests in Varanasi, where local BJP legislators and supporters gathered to voice anger over his actions. Party insiders say the decision was taken to curb internal dissent and present a unified front ahead of the upcoming electoral battle.
While the party has not issued a detailed statement, sources close to the leadership indicated that Rai's outspoken stance and the growing unrest among party cadres made his continued association untenable. The move underscores the BJP's intent to tighten discipline as it prepares for the 2027 polls.
Political analysts note that expelling a figure of Rai's stature signals a broader strategy to marginalise dissenters within the party, especially those who have challenged the Prime Minister's leadership in the past.
The development adds another layer of intrigue to the political dynamics in Uttar Pradesh, a state that remains crucial for any national party's electoral calculations.