A day after cross-voting during Rajya Sabha polls, the Nishad Pary has expelled its lone MLA Vijay Mishra from the party for voting in favour of the BJP in violation of the party whip.
Vijay Mishra is a member of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly from Gyanpur in Bhadohi. During Rajya Sabha voting on Friday, Mishra had crossed floors and voted in favour of the BJP paving way for the victory of the BJP’s ninth candidate Anil Agarwal.
A close associate of Samajwadi Party leader Shivpal Singh Yadav, Mishra had allegedly forged a defection in the BSP camp also. He made Anil Singh, a BSP MLA from Purwa in Unnao, to support the BJP wresting the crucial tenth seat from BSP candidate Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar.
Mishra had earlier contested on the Samajwadi Party ticket in 2012. Akhilesh Yadav had denied him the ticket in 2017 Assembly elections due to his criminal antecedents following which he had contested on Nishad Party ticket and had won assembly election despite the saffron wave.
The Nishad Party had an alliance with the Samajwadi Party in Gorakhpur Lok Sabha by-polls. Instead of fielding his party candidate, the SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav had given a ticket to Praveen Nishad, son of the Nishad Party Chief Dr Sanjay Nishad. Praveen Nishad had defeated the BJP candidate Updendra Dutt Shukla.
On Akhilesh Yadav’s request, the Nishad Party had promised to extend support to the BSP candidate Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar during Rajya Sabha polls. But a day before the Rajya Sabha polls, Mishra switched loyalty and announced support to the BJP.
“He violated the party whip and indulged in gross indiscipline. The party has cancelled his primary membership and expelled him from the party for six years,” said Dr Sanajy Nishad.
The Nishad Party Chief said that his party had given him the ticket when all political parties had shut doors on him. Though Ant-Defection Act does not apply to those who cross vote during Rajya Sabha polls but Dr Sanjay Nishad said that the party was writing to the UP Assembly Speaker for cancelling his membership from the House.
The BSP Supremo Mayawati is also contemplating action against his party rebel MLA Anil Singh. A senior party leader said that Behenji may expel Anil Singh from the party for crossing floor to support the BJP.
A BJP ally, the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (JBSP) has also said that details have been sought on reported news of two-party MLAs Triveni Ram and Kailash Sonkar supporting the SP and BSP during Rajya Sabha polling. “Strict action will be initiated against them if charges of cross-voting were found true against party MLAs,” said Omprakash Rajbhar, the JBSP Chief.
