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The Hindu
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
40 Thakur legislators announce formation of ‘kutumb parivar'
More than 40 legislators belonging to the Thakur (Rajput) community in Uttar Pradesh held a meeting in Lucknow and later announced the formation of a 'Kutumb Parivar' (family of a community), according to sources. The gathering, held on Monday evening at a five-star hotel, included MLAs and MLCs, mostly from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Two Samajwadi Party rebels – MLAs Rakesh Pratap Singh and Abhay Singh – and the lone BSP MLA Uma Shankar Singh also took part in the meeting, the sources added. Organised by BJP MLA from Kundarki Assembly segment, Ramveer Singh, and Moradabad MLC Jaipal Singh Vyast, according to posters put up at the venue, the meeting assumes significance amid the perceived discontent among Thakurs, especially after the ruling BJP denied tickets to several community leaders to accommodate candidates from other castes in the 2024 Lok Sabha election. An otherwise influential caste group, the community has nearly 50 MLAs in the 403-member State Assembly at present. Out of them, 43 were elected on BJP tickets in the 2022 Assembly poll. While the legislators who participated in the gathering described it as a courtesy meeting, 'more like a family function', the development is being seen as a show of strength amid growing murmurs of brewing discontentment. Talking to The Hindu, Mr. Vyast dismissed the rumblings, saying, 'It [the gathering] was largely a non-political get-together and was not limited to any particular caste... MLAs from various social groups participated in it.'
Hindustan Times
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Samajwadi Party expels three rebel MLAs for cross-voting in February 2024 Rajya Sabha polls
The Samajwadi Party has cracked the whip on three out of its seven rebel MLAs, expelling them from the party almost 14 months after they cross-voted for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate during the Rajya Sabha elections in February 2024. Abhay Singh and Manoj Kumar Pandey were among three MLAs expelled by SP. (FILE PHOTO) Those expelled from the Akhilesh Yadav-led party are Abhay Singh (MLA from Gosainganj in Ayodhya district), Rakesh Pratap Singh (Gauriganj in Amethi) and former chief whip Manoj Kumar Pandey (Unchahar in Rae Bareli), the SP said in a post on its social media handle. The remaining four rebel MLAs have been spared for their 'good behaviour' while doors have been closed for the future for the three MLAs who have been expelled today, the party claimed. The four who have been spared are: Bisauli MLA Ashutosh Maurya, Kalpi MLA Vinod Chaturvedi, Chail MLA Puja Pal and Jalalpur MLA Rakesh Pandey. Samajwadi Party spokesperson Fakhrul Hasan Chand said, 'These MLAs were working against PDA, giving statements against PDA and were speaking in favour of wrongdoings of the BJP. They were given time to improve but sadly they continued to speak against the PDA, hence this action was taken by the party.' In a post on Monday morning, the official Samajwadi Party X handle stated, 'Samajwadi Party expels the following MLAs from the party in the 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 'grace period' given to these people for a change of heart has now been completed.' Reacting to his expulsion, Gauriganj MLA Rakesh Pratap Singh said, 'I am not upset at all, rather I welcome this decision and I will continue to speak what is right. The SP doesn't take a stand when religious sentiments are hurt or played with. The leadership of the SP also doesn't stand with its own MLAs when there is any issue. The SP leadership never called me when I was in trouble. I don't know if I will be in politics in future or not but I am sure that I will never ever work again with such leadership.' 'I am with Sanatan, I am with Ram, I am with the country but SP people are opposing it,' said Rakesh Pratap Singh. Meanwhile, Unchahar MLA Manoj Kumar Pandey said, 'On 18th June 2024, I joined the BJP in the presence of HM Amit Shah in Raebareli. The party which has deviated from its path and is deceiving the backwards and the downtrodden, I had left that party publicly on 18th June. The party which I had left, now I am being expelled from the same party, this is hilarious and surprising.' The BJP's eighth candidate Sanjay Seth had won the Rajya Sabha election in February 2024 due to cross-voting. Only two SP candidates, Jaya Bachchan and Ramjilal Suman, had won, while the third candidate Alok Ranjan had lost. The rebel MLAs also alleged that the SP leadership had not 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. On April 2, 2025, the rebel SP MLAs, including Abhay Singh, Rakesh Pratap Singh and Vinod Chaturvedi, had met Shah in New Delhi.
The Print
23-06-2025
- Politics
- The Print
‘PDA' politics at play—Why Akhilesh expelled only three of eight ‘rebel' SP MLAs
In February 2024, the trio along with MLAs Rakesh Pandey, Vinod Chaturvedi, Pooja Pal, Ashutosh Maurya voted in favour of the BJP and NDA-backed candidates. They were also photographed on the UP Assembly premises with BJP candidate Sanjay Seth and other senior BJP leaders. Another legislator Maharaji Prajapati—the wife of SP leader Gayatri Prajapati—had abstained from voting. The action against Abhay Singh (Gosaiganj), Rakesh Pratap Singh (Gauriganj), and Manoj Pandey (Unchahar) comes nearly 16 months after a group of Samajwadi Party MLAs revolted during the Rajya Sabha elections. Lucknow: The Samajwadi Party (SP) Monday expelled three MLAs for alleged anti-party conduct, accusing them of violating the party's core principles and promoting divisive politics. What has caught the attention of political observers is the caste of the three expelled MLAs as none of them are from the PDA (Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) sections. The Print has learnt that the Samajwadi Party's decision to expel only three out of the eight rebel MLAs is a part of its broader political strategy. SP chief Akhilesh Yadav coined the term 'PDA' during the 2022 Uttar Pradesh polls for 'pichhda' (backwards), Dalits and 'alpsankhyak' (minorities). In fact, this strategy had halved the BJP's Lok Sabha tally in Uttar Pradesh to bring it down to 33 seats and led to the SP's emergence as the single largest party with 37 seats. According to a senior SP functionary, the decision to expel Manoj Pandey, Abhay Singh, and Rakesh Pratap Singh was based on three key reasons. 'First, these three (leaders) consistently made statements that went against the party line, especially targeting our PDA narrative. Second, our internal inquiry revealed that they not only cross-voted during the Rajya Sabha elections but also actively tried to influence other MLAs to do the same,' the functionary said. Third, and most importantly, the action was taken as the trio was considered close to Akhilesh. 'Their betrayal has deeply hurt the leadership. Manoj Pandey, in particular, held the crucial position of chief whip in the Assembly, yet he chose to go against the party—something that has left the top leadership feeling deeply let down. Both Abhay Singh and Rakesh Pratap Singh were also in the good books of the top leadership. But either due to pressure from the government or maybe the caste factor as the Thakurs are aligning with Yogi Adityanath, they rebelled.' the functionary explained Three of the remaining MLAs( Maurya, Pal and Prajapati) are OBCs and the party was not inclined to take any action against them, the SP insider said, adding that Vinod Chaturvedi and Rakesh Pandey were 'under observation'. The duo would face similar action if they would speak anything against the party leadership, the functionary asserted. समाजवादी सौहार्दपूर्ण सकारात्मक विचारधारा की राजनीति के विपरीत साम्प्रदायिक विभाजनकारी नकारात्मकता व किसान, महिला, युवा, कारोबारी, नौकरीपेशा और 'पीडीए विरोधी' विचारधारा का साथ देने के कारण, समाजवादी पार्टी जनहित में निम्नांकित विधायकों को पार्टी से निष्कासित करती है: 1. मा.… — Samajwadi Party (@samajwadiparty) June 23, 2025 The action, according to the SP's official statement, against the trio was taken due to their conduct against party discipline and their support for policies considered harmful to various sections of society, particularly to PDA (Pichhda, Dalit and Alpsankhyak). There will be no place in the party for 'anti-people' people and activities contrary to the basic idea of the party will always be considered unforgivable in future, it asserted. Later, MLA Manoj Pandey told the media that he had officially joined the BJP on 18 June, 2024, in Raebareli in the presence of Home Minister Amit Shah. 'So, whether the Samajwadi Party expels me or not makes no difference. India is a nation rooted in Sanatana Dharma, and we cannot remain in a party where activities repeatedly go against those values. That is why we chose to part ways,' he contended. The party is closely monitoring the actions of all rebel leaders, SP spokesperson Udaiveer Singh told ThePrint. 'We all know who have cross-voted and are involved in anti-party activities. At an appropriate time, we will make necessary decisions. For now, we have found three MLAs guilty of more serious violations, and action has been taken against them accordingly,' Singh added. (Edited by Tony Rai) Also Read: In eastern UP, tug of war between BJP & SP over Raja Suheldev's legacy. The prize—Rajbhar votes
Time of India
23-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
SP expels 3 MLAs who voted for BJP in 2024 RS polls
Lucknow: Samajwadi Party on Monday expelled three MLAs for voting in favour of the BJP nominees in the Feb 2024 Rajya Sabha polls. The action against the MLAs followed over a year after they defied the party line for "supporting a divisive and communal" ideology in contrast with the party's socialist ethos. The MLAs expelled are Abhay Singh (Gosainganj in Amethi), Rakesh Pratap Singh (Gairganj in Amethi) and Manoj Pandey (Unchahar in Rae Bareli). The party in a statement said the three MLAs were allowed a "grace period" to see if they will undergo any "change of heart" and return to the party fold but to no avail. The SP added that 'jan virodhi' (anti-people) functionaries will have no place in the party in the future and that any activity which was against the core ideology of the party, would be treated as unpardonable. The statement concluded with a word of advice to the three expelled MLAs: "Be trustworthy wherever you are". Meanwhile, Manoj Pandey expressed shock over his expulsion. "I'm surprised by this development. The tweet (X post) from the party today makes me feel pity for those running the SP. How can a party expel someone who had already joined the BJP in front of a crowd of one lakh people and in the presence of Union home minister Amit Shah?" he said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Scam Exposed: What They Won't Tell You about zero trust! Expertinspector Click Here Undo The expulsion of MLAs is unlikely to leave any impact on their Assembly membership. A source in Vidhan Sabha secretariat said the three MLAs will no longer be treated as members of SP in the House. They will be given a seating arrangement outside the SP's seating block in the Assembly. "They will be treated as unattached members and SP whip will no longer be binding on them. The Law of Defection will, however, apply on them and as per the Supreme Court ruling, if they join any other party then they will stand disqualified," the source said. If Pandey has joined BJP, action might follow if the SP approaches the Vidhan Sabha secretariat with a complaint. The expulsions has, however, ended all speculations of them returning to SP ahead of the 2027 assembly polls. "They will now have to seek a ticket from the BJP for the next assembly elections. All the very best to them," a senior SP functionary told TOI. Sources in SP said of late the three MLAs were sending feelers to senior party functionaries to gauge the mood of the party leadership about their return but latter showed no interest. The three expelled legislators were among the seven SP MLAs who voted in favour of the BJP candidates in the Rajya Sabha polls. About no action on the remaining four MLAs, the SP said it was because of their 'good conduct'. Though SP was silent on the immediate reason for the expulsions, sources said the SP leadership had taken serious note of Abhay Singh and Rakesh Pratap Singh meeting the Union home minister Amit Shah in Delhi on April 1 last. The third expelled MLA Manoj Pandey was not a part of this meeting but he came under the axe as the SP leadership was particularly displeased with him for putting the party in an embarrassing situation by switching sides despite being appointed as chief whip of the SP in the assembly. Manoj quit as the party's chief whip on April 27, 2025 morning — the day voting was underway for the RS polls, which too did not go down well with the party leadership. Gangster-politician Abhay Singh (50) is a second-term MLA from Gosainganj and said to be close to Raja Bhaiya, who now heads the Jansatta Dal (Loktantrik). Raja Bhaiya has been close to SP, particularly when Mulayam Singh Yadav was at the helm, but does not enjoy any exceptionally cordial relations with SP chief Akhilesh Yadav. Rakesh Pratap Singh (48) is a three-time MLA from Gauriganj in Amethi and has been backing the BJP publicly since he switched sides. P olitical analysts said the fact that Rakesh Pratap Singh and Manoj Pandey were from constituencies in Amethi and Rae Bareli districts - the bastions of the Congress, the seats were likely to go to the Congress in case of the likely alliance with the grand old party for the 2027 assembly polls. In such a scenario, expulsion of the two leaders will limit their scope of eating into the SP votes in any way in these elections. While Pandey claimed that he had "officially joined" the BJP a year ago, the UP Assembly website on Monday showed him to be a Samajwadi Party member. Responding to SP's remarks about his 'conscience,' Pandey said, "Only the living have a conscience. My conscience is awake 'always has been." He accused the SP of disrespecting Hindu beliefs. "How can any political party insult Lord Ram, burn the Ramcharitmanas, and make derogatory remarks about Hindu gods and goddesses?" he asked. Rakesh Pratap Singh, meanwhile, welcomed his expulsion. "I thank those who made this decision. There's no place left in SP for those who speak the truth," he said. He accused the party of being run by "non-socialist forces" and said its PDA slogan stands for "Parivaar Development Authority". "They even objected to me visiting Ayodhya. That's when the separation began," he added.
Hindustan Times
23-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
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.
