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Hindustan Times
2 hours ago
- 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.
Indian Express
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Samajwadi Party expels 3 MLAs over a year after ‘cross-voting' in Rajya Sabha polls
More than a year after several Samajwadi Party MLAs allegedly cross-voted in the Rajya Sabha elections, the party on Sunday expelled three of them — Abhay Singh (Gosaiganj, Ayodhya), Rakesh Pratap Singh (Gauriganj, Amethi), and Manoj Kumar Pandey (Unchahar, Rae Bareli), a former Chief Whip in the Assembly — for 'supporting a divisive and communal' ideology, which the party said was contrary to its 'harmonious socialist ideology'. The SP in a statement said the three had been given a 'grace period' in the hope that they would have a 'change of heart', which, it said, has ended. In Uttar Pradesh's Rajya Sabha polls held in February last year, seven SP MLAs voted in favour of BJP and NDA-backed candidates, and many of them had since been seen attending BJP events and meeting senior party leaders. On Sunday, while taking action against three, the SP warned the remaining four, stating that no action had been taken against them yet 'because of their good conduct'. 'Samajwadi Party, in the public interest, expels the… MLAs due to their communal, divisive, negative ideology and supporting anti-farmer, anti-women, anti-youth, anti-business, anti-working professionals as well as 'anti-PDA' ideology, as opposed to the politics of harmonious, positive, socialist ideology,' the party said in its statement. It further warned that there would be 'no place for 'jan virodhi' (anti-people) leaders' in the future, and that any 'activities against the basic ideology of the party' would be treated as 'unpardonable'. According to sources, last month, Abhay Singh, Rakesh Pratap Singh, and Vinod Chaturvedi had also met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi, along with BJP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Seth. Among those expelled, Manoj Kumar Pandey (57) is a three-time MLA from Unchahar and was once considered close to SP chief Akhilesh Yadav. He had also served as a cabinet minister during the previous SP government in the state. He was removed as Chief Whip in the Assembly after the Rajya Sabha cross-voting incident, and has since reportedly been supporting the BJP, including during the last Lok Sabha elections. Abhay Singh (50), a second-term MLA from Gosaiganj in Ayodhya, is known as a muscleman-turned-politician and is considered close to another strongman and former minister Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiya, who now heads the Jansatta Dal (Loktantrik). Rakesh Pratap Singh (48) is a three-time MLA from Gauriganj in Amethi. He too had rebelled during the Rajya Sabha polls and has since publicly backed the BJP.
Time of India
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
‘No place for anti-people ideology': Samajwadi Party expels MLAs who cross-voted in Rajya Sabha polls; rebels had backed BJP candidate
LUCKNOW: Samajwadi Party on Monday expelled three MLAs who cast their votes in support of the BJP candidate in the Rajya Sabha elections. The party removed Abhay Singh from Gosaiganj, Rakesh Pratap Singh from Gauriganj, and Manoj Pandey from Unchahar constituencies for their actions against party principles and supporting policies deemed detrimental to various sections of society. "Samajwadi Party in public interest expels the following MLAs from the party due to their communal divisive negativity and supporting anti-farmer, women, youth, business, working professionals and 'anti-PDA' ideology, as opposed to the politics of socialist harmonious positive ideology: 1. MLA Gosaiganj Mr. Abhay Singh 2. MLA Gauriganj Mr. Rakesh Pratap Singh 3. MLA Unchahar Mr. Manoj Kumar Pandey The grace period given to these people for change of heart has now been completed, the remaining time period is remaining due to good conduct. In future also there will be no place in the party for 'anti-people' people and activities contrary to the basic ideology of the party will always be considered unforgivable. Wherever you live, be trustworthy," Samajwadi Party said in an official statement on X. Party sources indicate potential expulsion actions against additional rebel MLAs in the future. According to Samajwadi Party sources, seven MLAs, including Chief Whip Manoj Pandey, disrupted party unity by backing the BJP's candidate during the Rajya Sabha elections. This action has caused significant displeasure to party president Akhilesh Yadav . Post the Lok Sabha elections conclusion last year, Yadav began proceedings to terminate the membership of these seven MLAs. Following the Samajwadi Party's success in securing 37 seats in Uttar Pradesh during the Lok Sabha elections, seven MLAs sought meetings with SP leader Akhilesh Yadav to discuss party re-entry. However, Akhilesh Yadav refused to entertain their requests for meetings or readmission.
India Today
7 hours ago
- Politics
- India Today
Samajwadi Party expels 3 sitting Uttar Pradesh MLAs for anti-party activities
The Samajwadi Party (SP) on Monday expelled three sitting MLAs for alleged anti-party conduct, accusing them of violating the party's core principles and promoting divisive leaders who have been shown the door include Abhay Singh (MLA from Goshaiganj), Rakesh Pratap Singh (MLA from Gauriganj), and Manoj Kumar Pandey (MLA from Unchahar).All three were expelled after what the party described as repeated instances of behaviour that went against its ideological In a statement, the Akhilesh Yadav-led party alleged that the expelled MLAs were engaged in activities that "promoted communal and divisive politics" and were supportive of "anti-farmer, anti-women, anti-youth, and anti-business" policies, positions that the party said are fundamentally opposed to its Samajwadi Party also claimed that the expelled lawmakers had been given opportunities to correct their course, but failed to fall in line with the party's expectations."Samajwadi Party in the public interest expels the following MLAs from the party due to their communal divisive negativity and supporting anti-farmer, women, youth, business, working professionals and 'anti-PDA' ideology, as opposed to the politics of socialist harmonious positive ideology," the party said in a social media post in Hindi. "The grace period given to these people for change of heart has now been completed, the remaining time period is remaining due to good conduct. "In the future also there will be no place in the party for 'anti-people' people and activities contrary to the basic ideology of the party will always be considered unforgivable," it added. advertisement
The Hindu
23-04-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Akhilesh Yadav reiterates caste-based posting allegations, hits out at DGP
A day after Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP) Prashant Kumar dismissed allegations of caste-based postings in the police force as 'baseless and misleading,' Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday (April22, 2025) doubled down on his claims and said the DGP should speak less and allow the chief minister to respond. 'Let the Chief Minister respond, officials should speak less,' he said in Lucknow, addressing a press conference. Mr. Yadav, had earlier put up a data claiming lesser representation of PDA meaning Pichhda, Dalits and Alpsankhyak, acronym for Backwards, Dalit and Minority, in key officials' postings in districts and accused the BJP of neglecting officials hailing from PDA social groups in key government postings. The SP president reiterated that every section of society is facing oppression and injustice under the BJP government, adding Dalit community is facing atrocities on a large scale. 'Every day in the state, statues of Baba Saheb Dr. Ambedkar are being vandalized and insulted. The dominant people are not able to accept Baba Saheb's constitution and Baba Saheb's popularity. The BJP government has broken all records of corruption,' he alleged. He accused the BJP government for bringing the Waqf act to hide rising inflation, unemployment, corruption, injustice, atrocities and its failures. 'Through this law, the BJP government wants to snatch land. It snatched people's money by demonetization. It snatched reservation in jobs from backward and Dalits. Similarly, they want to snatch the land. Samajwadi Party is against the Waqf law,' said the SP president. 'The BJP government has no achievements. It wants to take political advantage by spreading hatred in the society and causing riots. There is discrimination in postings in police stations under the BJP government. The BJP government is anti-PDA,' he added.
