Chennai: The Janata Party today announced dissolution of its Jammu and Kashmir unit with immediate effect following a media expose claiming "cash for candidates post" scam by the local head.

In a statement here, Janata Party president Subrmanian Swamy said that the party's Jammu and Kashmir unit president, Somnath Dabgotra, "failed to contradict" reports that he had issued an appeal in the name of party's working president Vijay Mallya calling for applications from persons who wished to fight the forthcoming assembly elections on Janata party ticket.

Dabgotra also failed to contradict reports that he demanded Rs 5 lakh from media representatives posing as prospective candidates for providing them with Rs 25 lakh worth of campaign support, a car, house and even a government security cover, Swamy said. "Such gross commercialisation of the process of selecting candidates is unacceptable to the Janata Party," Swamy said, adding that despite the party declining in voter support, it was "still committed" to the values for which Jayaprakash Narayan had founded the party.

Even at the cost of a possible electoral success, it has been decided to dissolve the state unit, Swamy said and added that party general secretary Jagdish Shetty has been authorised to select "genuine" candidates who have been a part of the party for sometime. The party would certainly fight the elections, Swamy told PTI. Dabgotra had actively participated in the Amarnath land transfer issue.

Source : PTI