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Bruce McAllister acclaimed as PC candidate after Jamie Lall disallowed

Bruce McAllister acclaimed as PC candidate after Jamie Lall disallowed

Former Wildrose MLA Bruce McAllister has been acclaimed as the Progressive Conservative candidate for Chestermere-Rocky View, after his opponent was blocked from running, the party announced early Sunday.

In an email sent shortly after midnight, the party announced that Jamie Lall, CEO of the Calgary Housing and Employment Services, had been disallowed from running by the PC Alberta Nomination Committee. The nomination vote was set for April 1, and the party did not provide their reasons for forcing Lall from the race.

Lall, who ran unsuccessfully for the PC party in 2012 in Calgary-Buffalo, said he was told about the decision Saturday night.

"While I am extremely disappointed by this latest development, I will not be making any further comment until I have time to process the events of last night," he wrote Sunday in a statement emailed to CBC News.

"At the end of the day, I am most disappointed that the people of Chestermere-Rocky View were robbed of their right to participate in the democratic process."

McAllister was one of the nine Wildrose MLAs to cross over to the Tory party in December. His acclamation came hours after three other floor-crossers lost their PC nomination bids on Saturday, including former Wildrose leader Danielle Smith’s defeat in Highwood.

Floor-crosser Gary Bikman lost his nomination battle in Cardston-Taber-Warner, while Rod Fox was defeated in the riding of Lacombe-Ponoka.