The Samajwadi Party (SP) has expelled senior leader Sanjay Upadhyay from the party for six years for contesting the election for Ballia Municipal Council chairman against the official nominee, a party leader said on April 29.
The Samajwadi Party has also expelled three other leaders for one year for indulging in anti-party activities.
SP district unit president Raj Mangal Yadav said the party had declared Laxman Gupta as its candidate for the election to the post of chairman of Ballia Municipal Council but Mr. Upadhyay, a former municipal council chairman, entered into the fray as an independent candidate.
He said Mr. Upadhyay has been expelled from the party for six years on the instructions of SP national president Akhilesh Yadav.
Mr. Upadhyay was elected chairman of the municipal council in the past as an independent. He was also a candidate from Ballia Sadar seat in 2012 Assembly elections from the Bahujan Samaj Party. In 2017, he joined SP.
Raj Mangal Yadav said the party's former district vice-president Jamal Alam, former district secretary Adarsh Mishra Jhabbu and former president of Ballia Nagar unit Ajay Yadav have also been expelled for one year for indulging in anti-party activities in the run-up to the municipal council election. The urban local bodies polls in Uttar Pradesh will held in two phases on May 4 and 11. The counting of votes will be held on May 13.
