Amar Singh, Jaya Prada expelled from SP

Amar Singh and Jaya Prada

LUCKNOW/NEW DELHI: Ending a month of uneasy ties, Samajwadi Party has sacked Amar Singh and his close associate Jaya Prada for anti-party activities and the defiant high-profile former general secretary kept his options open on future plans.

The SP Parliamentary Board, chaired by party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, met in Lucknow and decided to expel Amar Singh and Jaya Prada, a Lok Sabha MP, to "free" the party from "intruders" which wanted to "dent" its socialist image.

"Before the disease spreads further, the party decided to undertake a corrective surgery," party spokesman Mohan Singh told reporters.

He said the party will move a petition before Lok Sabha Speaker and Rajya Sabha Chairman seeking their disqualification from the two Houses of Parliament on grounds of indulging in anti-party activities.

Amar Singh, who had a steady rise in politics during his 14-year stint in the party and was its public face, reacted saying the expulsion was a "blessing in disguise" for him and he would now enjoy freedom.

"I have not talked to BSP, Congress or the NCP," he said on being asked whether he would be joining any of these parties.

The 54-year-old rebel, who started as a Congressman and was responsible for roping in Bollywood celebrities and industrialists like Anil Ambani to back SP, had quit as general secretary and spokesman on January 6 citing health grounds. Subsequently, he has been making critical comments against the SP leadership.
The party also suspended membership of four MLAs - Madan Chauhan, Sandeep Agarwal, Ashok Chandel and Sarvesh Singh - all Amar Singh loyalists.

Announcing the expulsion decision, the SP spokesman said Amar Singh had attempted to "deshape" the party and he had been expelled with a "heavy heart".

"For over a month some leaders of the party have been continuously giving statements against the SP," Mohan Singh said.

"His (Amar Singh) entry in the party was capitalist and communal intrusion intended to damage the socialist movement," said Mohan Singh, who was recently appointed as the spokesman in place of Amar Singh.

Moments later, Amar Singh, who has been the closest associate of Mulayam Singh Yadav, said it was "sad" that the situation had come to such a pass.

The rebel leader made it clear that he would not resign his Rajya Sabha seat. "I have earned the (Rajya Sabha) seat and not got this as alms. I will not quit the seat. Even Mulayam Singh Yadav had not asked me to do so when I had spoken to him a few days ago," he told reporters in Delhi.

On reports of his warming up to Congress, BSP and the NCP, he said, "I have had no discussion with anybody or any party, be it BSP, Congress or NCP or others.

"I had only empathized with Mayawati (during a TV interview). She had a bitter experience with SP after withdrawing support from that party. Since I am also in a similar position now, I can understand her pain. She had also been a victim of SP," he said.