SP Cracks Whip, Expels Three of 7 Rebel MLAs

The Samajwadi Party has cracked the whip on three 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.

- HT Correspondent

LUCKNOW:

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.