BSP’s Anil Singh (left) was suspended and NISHAD party’s Vijay Mishra (right) expelled on Saturday. Express
A DAY after the Rajya Sabha elections witnessed cross-voting, NISHAD (Nirbal Indian Shoshit Hamara Aam Dal) party and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) dismissed their lone MLAs for going against the party and voting for the BJP. Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP), BJP’s ally, meanwhile, sought clarification from its two MLAs over reports that they had cross-voted. In Friday’s elections, the BJP managed to send all its nine candidates to the Rajya Sabha. While the remaining seat went to SP’s Jaya Bachchan, BSP candidate Bhimrao Ambedkar failed to register a win even after he was supported by the Akhilesh Yadav-led party.
The NISHAD party expelled its MLA Vijay Mishra, who represented the Gyanpur seat in the Assembly, and also cancelled his primary membership. “Mishra ji himself had declared his loyalty to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and voted for the BJP. He had searched his path and obviously, we had to take action. He said that all smaller parties are here to earn money. He made allegations against all smaller parties. He also went against the party whip,” party national president Dr Sanjay Nishad said.
RLD chief Ajit Singh, meanwhile, expelled his lone MLA, Sahender Singh Chauhan. In a letter to the MLA from Chhaprauli, Singh wrote that he was being dismissed from the party, as he voted against the party’s directions in the Rajya Sabha polls. A party release issued in Lucknow read that Chaudhan kept the party leadership in the dark and worked against its directives. Hobnobbing with the BJP, he cast his vote as part of a conspiracy, it added.
The RLD MLA’s vote was reportedly declared invalid, as he had cast it in favour of two candidates. Speaking to mediapersons in Lucknow, BSP chief Mayawati said the RLD MLA did not vote in favour of her party’s nominee. The SBSP, on the other hand, has sought an explanation from its MLAs Kailash Nath Sonkar and Triveni Ram following reports that they cross-voted in the elections. After a recent meeting with BJP’s national president Amit Shah, SBSP president Om Prakash Rajbhar — a Cabinet minister in Adityanath government — had declared that the four MLAs of his party’s would vote for BJP in the Rajya Sabha elections.
“I have served notices to Kailash Nath Sonkar and Tirveni Ram seeking an explanation following reports in a section of media that they cross-voted,” he said. The two MLAs been asked to submit their explanation within a week, Rajbhar said, adding it is necessary that the truth is known.