Sameeksha Gupta was mayor from 2009 to 2015. (File)
Former Gwalior mayor and BJP leader Sameeksha Gupta announced Tuesday that she has quit the party and will be contesting the November 28 Assembly election in Madhya Pradesh.
Ms Gupta's announcement came even as senior BJP leaders including Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan are cajoling party rebels to opt out of the electoral race.
Ms Gupta, who was mayor from 2009 to 2015, has alread filed the nomination from Gwalior (South) as an independent.
Three-time MLA Narayan Singh Kushwaha is contesting the election on BJP ticket from the seat.
Ms Gupta alleged that the BJP had forsaken the ideology of Deendayal Upadhyay and Shyama Prasad Mukherjee and embraced dynastic politics.
"Dedicated party workers are being ignored. So I have resigned from the party," she said.
The deadline for withdrawal of nomination for the polls will end Wednesday.