Samajwadi Party expels 3 MLAs over a year after ‘cross-voting’ in Rajya Sabha polls
Spares four other MLAs who cross-voted, citing their 'good conduct'; expelled trio calls move 'ridiculous'
Abhay Singh (Gosaiganj, Ayodhya), Rakesh Pratap Singh (Gauriganj, Amethi), and Manoj Kumar Pandey (Unchahar, Rae Bareli) 
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The Samajwadi Party (SP) on Monday expelled three of its seven MLAs who cross-voted during the Rajya Sabha elections in February last year to extend support to NDA candidates, claiming they supported “a divisive and communal ideology against the party’s harmonious socialist ideology”.
In a press statement, the party said the expelled MLAs — Abhay Singh (Gosaiganj in Ayodhya), Rakesh Pratap Singh (Gauriganj in Amethi) and Manoj Kumar Pandey (Unchahar in Rae Bareli) — were given a “grace period” to allow a change of heart but it was now over.
Three-time MLA Manoj Pandey, 57, a former Cabinet minister and chief whip of the party, was once considered close to SP chief Akhilesh Yadav.
The four MLAs against whom action has not been taken so far are Puja Pal, Rakesh Pandey, Vinod Chaturvedi and Ashutosh Maurya. The party maintained that the four had been spared as of now “because of their good conduct”. The seven MLAs had termed their cross-voting during the Rajya Sabja polls a response to their “inner voice”.
The SP statement read, “Samajwadi Party in the public interest expels the following MLAs from the party due to their communal divisive negativity ideology and also for supporting anti-farmer, women, youth, business, working professionals as well as “anti-PDA” ideology, as opposed to the politics of harmonious positive socialist ideology.”
Sources said the party delayed action against these MLAs hoping for their comeback but they continued to be seen in BJP events.
While Manoj Pandey claimed to have officially joined the BJP in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah in June last year, Abhay Singh and Rakesh Pratap Singh were also seen with Shah during his public meetings in Amethi last year. Abhay Singh, Rakesh Singh and Vinod Chaturvedi are also believed to have met Shah in New Delhi last month.
In its statement, the SP also warned that there will be no place for “jan virodhi” (anti-people) leaders in the future and that activities against the party’s basic ideology will always be considered unpardonable”.
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Abhay Singh, 50, a strongman-turned-politician, is considered close to another muscleman-politician Raghuraj Pratap Singh, alias Raja Bhaiya, who has formed his own party Jansatta Dal (Lok Tantrik). Also, Rakesh Pratap Singh, 48, a three-time MLA, has since been speaking in support of the ruling party.
Responding to his “expulsion” from the SP, Manoj Pandey termed the move “ridiculous”, saying he had officially joined the BJP in June last year itself. “After disrespect shown by the party to the consecration ceremony of Ram Temple, I joined BJP, which respects Lord Ram. What kind of expulsion is this?” Pandey questioned in a post on X.
Rakesh Pratap Singh also hit out at the SP for being against “Sanatan Dharma” and “working against Dalits”. Claiming that he is against any ideology against “Sanatan Dharma”, Singh said he would continue to stand for its protection being its foot soldier.
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