Two more Tory riding association members in Chestermere-Rocky View have resigned.

Jim Parker and Rab Rawlins are the most recent to leave the Progressive Conservative Party’s riding association, following the early April resignations of three others.

Rawlins, a member of the board for more than a year, said he left because of the party’s decision to disallow a PC party nomination candidate from running with only days left to a vote.

“I did not like the way that Jamie Lall was rejected as a candidate,” said Rawlins.

“I thought he deserved better, I thought he deserved an explanation.”

With Lall out of the race his PC challenger, former Wildrose MLA Bruce McAllister, was acclaimed as the official party candidate for the riding.

Rawlins said he spoke with Lall following the decision and Lall didn’t know why he was booted out.

“I think anybody who puts themself in public office deserves more than being treated like that, so that was the main reason (I left),” said Rawlins.

As for Jim Parker, the Lall decision was one of myriad reasons why he decided to resign.

“They’re not really following their own rules, they’re not following their own handbook,” said Parker.

That’s the same sentiment expressed by 73-year-old Gloria Wilkinson, a longtime Progressive Conservative Party volunteer and association board member for the riding, who also resigned over the Lall decision.

“If the constituency runs all the people who put their names forward, if they run them through the police clearance and all those appropriate things that we have listed under the constitution and everybody passes, then who gives themselves the authority to step in and say otherwise?” she said.

Wilkinson, also a former vice-president for the party’s provincial association, left the riding association in early April along with president John Fitzsimmons and secretary Ada Rawlins.

“Fifteen people were on the board and five of us are now gone,” said Wilkinson.

Parker said he fears for the future of the riding.

“I think peoples’ hearts aren’t in it because of this sort of thing,” he said.

However, the party insists Lall knows why he was kicked out of the race.

“As we’ve said many times before, the reason for being disallowed from the race has been made clear to Mr. Lall. He knows what it is,” said party spokesperson, Mike Storeshaw in an email.

“Our campaign is moving forward with an outstanding candidate who will continue to be an excellent MLA for Chestermere-Rocky View.”