The Samajwadi Party (SP) has expelled three sitting MLAs — Abhay Singh (Gosaiganj), Rakesh Pratap Singh (Gauriganj), and Manoj Kumar Pandey (Unchahar) — citing anti-party activities and deviation from the party’s core ideology.

The announcement was made through an official statement shared on the party’s X (formerly Twitter) handle. According to the statement, the expelled MLAs had aligned themselves with “communal, divisive, and negative ideologies,” which stand in contrast to the SP’s foundational values of socialism, harmony, and progressiveness.

The party further accused the trio of acting against the interests of farmers, women, youth, professionals, and the PDA (Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) alliance. “They were given sufficient time to reconsider and return to the party’s ideological path, but they failed to do so,” the statement read.

The MLAs had earlier courted controversy during the 2024 Rajya Sabha elections when they cross-voted in favour of BJP candidates, contributing to the defeat of SP’s third nominee despite the party having enough votes to secure three seats. This move significantly dented the party’s internal unity.

Post-elections, the expelled leaders have frequently appeared at BJP events and increasingly distanced themselves from SP activities, signaling a shift in allegiance.

Although expelled from the party, the three legislators will continue to hold their positions in the Assembly unless disqualified through legislative procedures.

The party concluded its message with a warning: “Wherever you are, remain trustworthy,” reaffirming its stance that those who oppose the party’s ideology will not be tolerated.

Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by the Benefit News editorial team and is published directly from the IANS news feed.