The BJP leader Mr Wakchaure had been contesting against Shiv Sena official candidate Sadashiv Lokhande in Shirdi. Mr Wakchaure was also expelled from the party.

Mumbai: The Maharashtra Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on  Thursday expelled four rebel candidates Bhausaheb Wakchaure, Anil Gote, Manikrao Kokate, and Dr Suhas Natavadkar. According to the BJP, they were expelled for defying the party discipline. All four were contesting against the official candidates of the BJP, Shiv Sena, Rashtriya Samaj Paksha (RSP) and RPI Mahayuti.

Sitting BJP legislator, Mr Gote, who is the archrival of BJP strategist and cabinet minister Girish Mahajan, is contesting independently against Union minister of state for defence, Dr Subhash Bhamre from the Dhule-Malegaon Lok Sabha seat. In a letter addressed to him by the party state office secretary Mukund Kulkarni, as per the directives of the party state president Raosaheb Danve, Mr Gote was sacked for violation of the party discipline.

Similarly, Mr Kulkarni wrote a letter to the other three candidates contesting against the Mahay-uti's official candidates. According to the letter, all of them were violating the party discipline.

In Nandurbar, local BJP leader Dr Natavadkar rebelled against the party's official candidate and sitting MP, Dr Heena Gavit, whose father was in the NCP.  Ms Gavit faces a tough challenge from Dr Natavadkar, who is contesting against the party as an independent.

Another BJP leader Mr Kokate was expelled from the party for violating the party discipline as Mr Kokate was eyeing the party ticket from the Nashik LS seat but the party allied with the Shiv Sena, which got the Nashik seat as part of its quota. Mr Kokate is contesting against Sena sitting MP Hemant Godse.

The BJP leader Mr Wakchaure had been contesting against Shiv Sena official candidate Sadashiv Lokhande in Shirdi. Mr Wakchaure was also expelled from the party.