Mallya removed as working prez of Janata Party

Liquor baron Vijay Mallya was on Tuesday removed from the post of working president of the Janata Party after he filed a nomination for Rajya Sabha elections with the support of the Janata Dal - Secular.

Subramanian Swamy, president of Janata Party, said in a statement that the Karnataka state unit has also been dissolved.

"By the authority vested in me under the Janata Party Constitution, I am removing Mallya from the post of working president of Janata Party. He was appointed ad-hoc in 2002 to this post," Swamy said.

He said Mallya has been a 'sleeping non-working' office-bearer since 2004 and his accepting the support of JD-S for the Rajya Sabha candidacy disqualifies him from being a member of the Janata Party.

"The central parliamentary board will meet in Chennai on June 14 and will consider a resolution to remove Mallya from the primary membership of the party," Swamy said.