(Source: PTI/file) Independent candidate Geeta Thakur filing nomination papers for Rajya Sabha polls at the Uttarakhand Assembly in Dehradun. Independent candidate Geeta Thakur filing nomination papers for Rajya Sabha polls at the Uttarakhand Assembly in Dehradun. (Source: PTI/file)BJP-backed Independent candidate for Rajya Sabha seat in Uttarakhand, Geeta Thakur, who retired from the contest on eve of the polls has resigned from the party accusing it of suffering from an “anti-Dalit mindset”. BJP chief whip Madan Kashik said he had no clue why Bhandari has resigned. Charging the BJP with being “anti-women and anti-Dalit,” Thakur said she was first backed by the party as an Independent candidate with nine BJP MLAs including Pradesh BJP president and Leader of Opposition in the state assembly Ajay Bhatt supporting her but was later forced to back out.

Source: Indian Express June 11, 2016 17:34 UTC