Samajwadi Party Expels Three Sitting MLAs, Cites Ideological Deviation And Anti-Party Activities

Lucknow: In a significant political shake-up, the Samajwadi Party (SP) on Monday expelled three of its sitting MLAs — Abhay Singh (Gosaiganj), Rakesh Pratap Singh (Gauriganj), and Manoj Kumar Pandey (Unchahar) — for alleged anti-party conduct and deviation from core party ideology.

The announcement was made through the party’s official X (formerly Twitter) account, in which the leadership accused the trio of aligning with “communal and divisive” ideologies that run counter to the SP’s commitment to secularism, social justice, and its PDA (Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) coalition.

“These MLAs continuously acted against the welfare of farmers, youth, women, and the working class,” the party said in a strongly worded post. It further stated that the trio was given a window to return to the party line, but they chose to disregard the party’s values and priorities.

The action comes months after the Rajya Sabha elections in 2024, where internal rebellion within the party ranks led to significant embarrassment. Despite having enough numbers to send three candidates to the upper house, the SP was able to elect only two as several MLAs, including the three expelled today, cross-voted in favour of BJP candidates. Their defiance enabled BJP’s eighth candidate, Sanjay Seth, to win unexpectedly.

Since the election, all three MLAs have been visibly distancing themselves from SP leadership and have been frequently spotted at BJP-led events, adding fuel to speculation about their growing proximity to the ruling party.

Lucknow: In a significant political shake-up, the Samajwadi Party (SP) on Monday expelled three of its sitting MLAs — Abhay Singh (Gosaiganj), Rakesh Pratap Singh (Gauriganj), and Manoj Kumar Pandey (Unchahar) — for alleged anti-party conduct and deviation from core party ideology.

The announcement was made through the party’s official X (formerly Twitter) account, in which the leadership accused the trio of aligning with “communal and divisive” ideologies that run counter to the SP’s commitment to secularism, social justice, and its PDA (Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) coalition.

“These MLAs continuously acted against the welfare of farmers, youth, women, and the working class,” the party said in a strongly worded post. It further stated that the trio was given a window to return to the party line, but they chose to disregard the party’s values and priorities.

The action comes months after the Rajya Sabha elections in 2024, where internal rebellion within the party ranks led to significant embarrassment. Despite having enough numbers to send three candidates to the upper house, the SP was able to elect only two as several MLAs, including the three expelled today, cross-voted in favour of BJP candidates. Their defiance enabled BJP’s eighth candidate, Sanjay Seth, to win unexpectedly.

Since the election, all three MLAs have been visibly distancing themselves from SP leadership and have been frequently spotted at BJP-led events, adding fuel to speculation about their growing proximity to the ruling party.