Samajwadi Party expels 3 MLAs accused of cross-voting in 2024 RS polls

LUCKNOW: The Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party on Monday expelled three legislators, who allegedly voted to help the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) win the Rajya Sabha polls in February last year, declaring that the three had been working with 'communal, divisive, and negative ideologies' which were against the party's core values. Lucknow, Jun 22 (ANI): Samajwadi Party National President Akhilesh Yadav addresses a press conference, at party office in Lucknow on Sunday. (ANI Photo) (ANI)
The three lawmakers, Gosaiganj MLA Abhay Singh, Gauriganj MLA Rakesh Pratap Singh, and Unchahar MLA and former chief whip Manoj Kumar Pandey, are also among the seven who voted in favour of BJP candidates during the Rajya Sabha elections in February 2024. The cross-voting had helped the BJP win 8 out of the 10 seats, though the SP had the numbers to claim at least three seats.
The SP said the 'grace period' given to these legislators for a change of heart had expired. There is no room in the party for individuals who act against public welfare or its core ideological framework.
The SP announced the expulsion of the three legislators on X, accusing them of supporting forces that are anti-farmer, anti-women, anti-youth, anti-business, anti-employment, and against the rights of the marginalised.
'Samajwadi Party expels the following MLAs from the party in public interest for supporting communal divisive negativity and anti-farmer, women, youth, business, employed and 'anti-PDA' ideology, contrary to the politics of socialist harmony and positive ideology. MLA Gosaiganj Abhay Singh, MLA Gauriganj Rakesh Pratap Singh and MLA Unchahar Manoj Kumar Pandey,' the party said in a statement.
The grace period for the other four legislators who had supported the BJP in the Rajya Sabha elections has not ended due to good behaviour, it said.
These four legislators include Bisauli MLA Ashutosh Maurya, Kalpi MLA Vinod Chaturvedi, Chail MLA Puja Pal and Jalalpur MLA Rakesh Pandey.
SP spokesperson Fakhrul Hasan Chand said the three legislators had been working against the PDA [Pichda (backward), Dalit, Alpsankyhak (minority)] and had been speaking in favour of the wrongdoings of the BJP. 'They were given time to improve but unfortunately, they continued to speak against PDA, hence this action was taken by the party,' Chand said.
The SP had fielded three candidates – incumbent MP Jaya Bachchan, former chief secretary Alok Ranjan and Dalit leader Ramji Lal Suman - for the February 2024 elections. Only Jaya Bachchan and Ramjilal Suman won while Alok Ranjan lost due to cross voting. At the time, the rebel MLAs had claimed that the SP leadership hadn't allowed them to visit the Ram Lalla temple in Ayodhya on an invitation from UP assembly speaker Satish Mahana. After their rebellion, some of these MLAs visited the Ram Temple.

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