RLD, Nishad Party expel MLAs for cross-voting in RS polls in UP

RLD MLA's vote was reportedly declared invalid as he had cast it in favour of two candidates.

Image: PTI/ Representational image

Lucknow/Gorakhpur: The RLD and the NISHAD Party today expelled their MLAs for voting against party directives in the just concluded Rajya Sabha polls. RLD chief Ajit Singh expelled his lone MLA in the UP Assembly Sahender Singh Chauhan. NISHAD Party president Sanjay Nishad announced the expulsion of MLA Vijay Misra. MLA Sahendra Singh 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. He has been expelled by party president Chaudhary Ajit Singh, an RLD release issued in Lucknow read. The party had decided to vote in favour of the BSP in the Rajya Sabha elections to defeat communal forces, the release, signed by RLD National General Secretary Trilok Tyagi, read. The RLD is committted to opposition unity in national interest against the BJP government which is "spreading communal hatred in society", it added. RLD MLA's vote was reportedly declared invalid as he had cast it in favour of two candidates. At a presser in Lucknow, Mayawati said the RLD MLA did not vote in favour of the BSP nominee. According to a report from Gorakhpur, the NISHAD Party expelled dissident MLA Vijay Mishra, who represented the Gyanpur seat in the Assembly, and also cancelled his primary membership. Mishra is the only MLA of the NISHAD Party and he voted in favour of the BJP during the Rajya Sabha polls. Sanjay Nishad, the national president of the NISHAD Party, announced the expulsion of the MLA for "cross-voting and indiscipline". Our party does politics based on ethics and ideology and cannot tolerate deceivers, Sanjay Nishad said, adding the BJP is a party of industrialists and its ideology is totally opposite. Sanjay Nishad's son Praveen won the Gorakhpur parliamentary seat in the recently held Lok Sabha by-polls. He was the Samajwadi party candidate and was supported by BSP, NISHAD party and Peace party.