UP: SP suspends four MLAs on charges of cross-voting in RS polls

13 June, Lucknow

The ruling Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh has suspended its four MLAs after it was revealed that they had engaged in cross-voting during recently held Rajya Sabha polls.

Party general secretary Arvind Singh Gop said in Lucknow Monday that state party president and chief minister Akhilesh Yadav suspended the MLAs – Bhagwan Sharma (Dibai), Mukesh Sharma (Shikarpur-Bulandshahr), Nawazish Alam (Buddhana-Muzaffarnagar) and Shyam Prakash (Gopamau-Hardoi) – on charges of anti-party activities.

Samajwadi Party spokesperson Rajendra Chowdhury said the MLAs were suspended for defying orders and acting against the party interests. Last month, the party suspended and later expelled party MLA Rampal Yadav (Biswan-Sitapur) after he manhandled some government officials over the demolition of his illegally-constructed building.

Prior to it Bahujan Samaj Party also suspended its MLA Taslim Ahmad from Najibabad, while Bharatiya Janata Party suspended its MLA Vijay Bahadur Yadav from Gorakhpur rural on similar charges.