Samajwadi Party expels 3 UP MLAs who cross-voted in 2024 Rajya Sabha polls

The Samajwadi Party on Monday expelled three of its MLAs from Uttar Pradesh who had cross-voted in support of the Bharatiya Janata Party during Rajya Sabha elections last year.

Gosaiganj MLA Abhay Singh, Gauriganj MLA Rakesh Pratap Singh, and Unchahar MLA and former chief whip Manoj Kumar Pandey were the legislators who were removed. They were among seven party members who had cross-voted in Uttar Pradesh’s Rajya Sabha elections in February 2024.

The cross-voting had led to the defeat of one of the three candidates put forward by the Samajwadi Party in that election.

समाजवादी सौहार्दपूर्ण सकारात्मक विचारधारा की राजनीति के विपरीत साम्प्रदायिक विभाजनकारी नकारात्मकता व किसान, महिला, युवा, कारोबारी, नौकरीपेशा और ‘पीडीए विरोधी’ विचारधारा का साथ देने के कारण, समाजवादी पार्टी जनहित में निम्नांकित विधायकों को पार्टी से निष्कासित करती है:

1. मा.…

— Samajwadi Party (@samajwadiparty) June 23, 2025

The Samajwadi Party said on Monday that the three legislators were expelled for “supporting an ideology which is against farmers, women, youth, businesses, working professionals and PDA [Pichde, Dalit and Alpasankhyak]”.

PDA is a term used by the party for “pichde” (backward classes), Dalits, and “alpasankhyak” (minorities) to denote a social coalition of marginalised communities.

The Samajwadi Party said on Monday that a “grace period” that had been given for the three MLAs to have a “change of...

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