New Delhi, Nov 6 (IANS) In a drastic move, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) unit of Maharashtra has expelled 40 of its workers and leaders from the party in 37 Assembly constituencies. The move comes a day after it expelled 30 leaders in Jharkhand.

The workers and leaders were expelled for not following party discipline and attempting to break the BJP.

The harsh disciplinary move by the BJP came just ahead of the Assembly elections on November 20.

Significantly, on Tuesday the BJP expelled 30 leaders from Jharkhand for contesting as Independent candidates against party nominees in various Assembly seats in the upcoming polls in the state.

In Maharashtra, senior BJP leaders Devendra Fadnavis and Chandrashekar Bawankule have warned that action will be taken against rebels after the crucial polls are over.

State BJP chief Bawankule said the party will crack the whip against rebels and suspend them for six years.

"We will be closing the party's doors for them and they will be suspended for six years. This process is going on and we are doing an analysis of who left (rebels) and who all left with them. Subsequently, action will be taken," he said.

The party has been facing internal woes due to resentment by leaders over various issues including ticket distribution and on Tuesday the BJP received a major jolt after its two-term MP Hina Gavit quit the party.

To make matters worse, she decided to contest defying the party’s diktat from the Akkalkuwa constituency as an Independent.

In her resignation letter, Hina Gavit, who is the daughter of BJP minister and nominee Dr Vijaykumar Gavit, said, “I am resigning so that the party does not face any problem because of my decision to contest as an Independent.”

The Jharkhand BJP on Tuesday expelled 30 leaders from the party for contesting as Independent candidates against party nominees in various Assembly seats in the upcoming polls.

All the rebel BJP leaders were expelled from the party for six years.

"Thirty rebel BJP leaders were expelled from the party for six years for filing nominations and contesting against the authorised candidates by defying the party's policies," a statement issued by the BJP in Jharkhand said.