Dehradun, Jun 28 (PTI): The ruling BJP in Uttarakhand expelled former MLA Suresh Rathore from the party for six years on Saturday following a controversy over his alleged second marriage.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had issued a notice to the former MLA from the Jwalapur constituency in Haridwar, seeking an explanation from him after a video went viral on the social media, in which he was seen introducing Saharanpur-based actress Urmila Sanawar as his second wife.

Rathore's alleged second marriage, without divorcing his first wife, has caused much embarrassment to the party as the Uniform Civil Code implemented by the BJP government in the state in January criminalises polygamy.

"The party leadership is not satisfied with your clarification. You have continuously violated party discipline and norms of social conduct," the expulsion letter said.

"You are being expelled from the primary membership of the party for six years on the directions of Pradesh BJP president," the letter signed by state BJP general secretary Rajendra Bisht said.

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Bengaluru: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast that the southwest monsoon will cause heavy rainfall likely this weekend and will drench Karnataka over the next 10 days.

The monsoon has begun retreating from northwestern India. Conditions remain active over the south, with an upper air trough extending up to 1.5 km over North Interior Karnataka and northern Tamil Nadu, combined with weakening monsoon winds across the peninsula, is driving the current spell. N. Puviarasan, head of the IMD’s meteorological centre in Bengaluru, said in a conversation with Deccan Herald, “As a result, the whole of Karnataka will see rain over the next week to 10 days."

With a cyclone in the Pacific Ocean along with a low-pressure system over the north Bay of Bengal, the monsoon is expected to intensify during the next four days. IMD has predicted heavy rains across South Interior Karnataka, including Bengaluru, throughout the weekend.


Bengaluru, recorded widespread moderate to heavy rainfall on Thursday. Between 8.30 am and 8.30 pm, Bengaluru city logged 45.9 mm of rain accompanied by thunderstorms. HAL airport registered 6 mm and the Bengaluru Urban automatic station recorded 47.5 mm. Doddathoguru, near Electronics City, reported 55 mm.

According to IMD forecast heavy rainfall will occur at isolated places in Bengaluru Urban, Bengaluru Rural, Yadgir, Koppal, Raichur, Ramanagara and Mandya districts in the next few days.

The southwest monsoon is now expected to extend until mid-October and with little or no break in between, the northeast monsoon is likely to follow immediately. These are expected to last until December. “There may be no break in between,” Puviarasan said.