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Deccan Herald
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Deccan Herald
Delhi Waqf board case: Court frames charges against Amanatullah Khan, others
New Delhi: A Delhi court on Monday framed charges against AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan and others in an alleged case of irregularities in the Delhi Waqf Board judge Dig Vinay Singh framed charges against Khan and others..5 BJD MPs, 1 from YSRC voted in favour of NDA-backed Waqf (Amendment) Bill.A detailed order is to the FIR, Khan, while working as chairman of the Delhi Waqf Board, illegally recruited 32 people in violation of norms and government guidelines.
The Print
23-06-2025
- Politics
- The Print
‘PDA' politics at play—Why Akhilesh expelled only three of eight ‘rebel' SP MLAs
In February 2024, the trio along with MLAs Rakesh Pandey, Vinod Chaturvedi, Pooja Pal, Ashutosh Maurya voted in favour of the BJP and NDA-backed candidates. They were also photographed on the UP Assembly premises with BJP candidate Sanjay Seth and other senior BJP leaders. Another legislator Maharaji Prajapati—the wife of SP leader Gayatri Prajapati—had abstained from voting. The action against Abhay Singh (Gosaiganj), Rakesh Pratap Singh (Gauriganj), and Manoj Pandey (Unchahar) comes nearly 16 months after a group of Samajwadi Party MLAs revolted during the Rajya Sabha elections. Lucknow: The Samajwadi Party (SP) Monday expelled three MLAs for alleged anti-party conduct, accusing them of violating the party's core principles and promoting divisive politics. What has caught the attention of political observers is the caste of the three expelled MLAs as none of them are from the PDA (Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) sections. The Print has learnt that the Samajwadi Party's decision to expel only three out of the eight rebel MLAs is a part of its broader political strategy. SP chief Akhilesh Yadav coined the term 'PDA' during the 2022 Uttar Pradesh polls for 'pichhda' (backwards), Dalits and 'alpsankhyak' (minorities). In fact, this strategy had halved the BJP's Lok Sabha tally in Uttar Pradesh to bring it down to 33 seats and led to the SP's emergence as the single largest party with 37 seats. According to a senior SP functionary, the decision to expel Manoj Pandey, Abhay Singh, and Rakesh Pratap Singh was based on three key reasons. 'First, these three (leaders) consistently made statements that went against the party line, especially targeting our PDA narrative. Second, our internal inquiry revealed that they not only cross-voted during the Rajya Sabha elections but also actively tried to influence other MLAs to do the same,' the functionary said. Third, and most importantly, the action was taken as the trio was considered close to Akhilesh. 'Their betrayal has deeply hurt the leadership. Manoj Pandey, in particular, held the crucial position of chief whip in the Assembly, yet he chose to go against the party—something that has left the top leadership feeling deeply let down. Both Abhay Singh and Rakesh Pratap Singh were also in the good books of the top leadership. But either due to pressure from the government or maybe the caste factor as the Thakurs are aligning with Yogi Adityanath, they rebelled.' the functionary explained Three of the remaining MLAs( Maurya, Pal and Prajapati) are OBCs and the party was not inclined to take any action against them, the SP insider said, adding that Vinod Chaturvedi and Rakesh Pandey were 'under observation'. The duo would face similar action if they would speak anything against the party leadership, the functionary asserted. 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 action, according to the SP's official statement, against the trio was taken due to their conduct against party discipline and their support for policies considered harmful to various sections of society, particularly to PDA (Pichhda, Dalit and Alpsankhyak). There will be no place in the party for 'anti-people' people and activities contrary to the basic idea of the party will always be considered unforgivable in future, it asserted. Later, MLA Manoj Pandey told the media that he had officially joined the BJP on 18 June, 2024, in Raebareli in the presence of Home Minister Amit Shah. 'So, whether the Samajwadi Party expels me or not makes no difference. India is a nation rooted in Sanatana Dharma, and we cannot remain in a party where activities repeatedly go against those values. That is why we chose to part ways,' he contended. The party is closely monitoring the actions of all rebel leaders, SP spokesperson Udaiveer Singh told ThePrint. 'We all know who have cross-voted and are involved in anti-party activities. At an appropriate time, we will make necessary decisions. For now, we have found three MLAs guilty of more serious violations, and action has been taken against them accordingly,' Singh added. (Edited by Tony Rai) Also Read: In eastern UP, tug of war between BJP & SP over Raja Suheldev's legacy. The prize—Rajbhar votes
Indian Express
23-06-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Samajwadi Party expels 3 MLAs over a year after ‘cross-voting' in Rajya Sabha polls
More than a year after several Samajwadi Party MLAs allegedly cross-voted in the Rajya Sabha elections, the party on Sunday expelled three of them — Abhay Singh (Gosaiganj, Ayodhya), Rakesh Pratap Singh (Gauriganj, Amethi), and Manoj Kumar Pandey (Unchahar, Rae Bareli), a former Chief Whip in the Assembly — for 'supporting a divisive and communal' ideology, which the party said was contrary to its 'harmonious socialist ideology'. The SP in a statement said the three had been given a 'grace period' in the hope that they would have a 'change of heart', which, it said, has ended. In Uttar Pradesh's Rajya Sabha polls held in February last year, seven SP MLAs voted in favour of BJP and NDA-backed candidates, and many of them had since been seen attending BJP events and meeting senior party leaders. On Sunday, while taking action against three, the SP warned the remaining four, stating that no action had been taken against them yet 'because of their good conduct'. 'Samajwadi Party, in the public interest, expels the… MLAs due to their communal, divisive, negative ideology and supporting anti-farmer, anti-women, anti-youth, anti-business, anti-working professionals as well as 'anti-PDA' ideology, as opposed to the politics of harmonious, positive, socialist ideology,' the party said in its statement. It further warned that there would be 'no place for 'jan virodhi' (anti-people) leaders' in the future, and that any 'activities against the basic ideology of the party' would be treated as 'unpardonable'. According to sources, last month, Abhay Singh, Rakesh Pratap Singh, and Vinod Chaturvedi had also met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi, along with BJP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Seth. Among those expelled, Manoj Kumar Pandey (57) is a three-time MLA from Unchahar and was once considered close to SP chief Akhilesh Yadav. He had also served as a cabinet minister during the previous SP government in the state. He was removed as Chief Whip in the Assembly after the Rajya Sabha cross-voting incident, and has since reportedly been supporting the BJP, including during the last Lok Sabha elections. Abhay Singh (50), a second-term MLA from Gosaiganj in Ayodhya, is known as a muscleman-turned-politician and is considered close to another strongman and former minister Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiya, who now heads the Jansatta Dal (Loktantrik). Rakesh Pratap Singh (48) is a three-time MLA from Gauriganj in Amethi. He too had rebelled during the Rajya Sabha polls and has since publicly backed the BJP.
