Bahujan Samaj Party on Tuesday suspended senior leader Ramveer Upadhyay for ‘anti-party activities’.
The Brahmin face of the BSP and former Energy Minister in the Mayawati government, Upadhyay was removed from the post of chief whip of the party in the UP Assembly but continued to be the MLA from Sadabad.
This was confirmed by BSP general secretary Mewalal Gautam.
In a letter to Upadhyay sent on Tuesday, Gautam said, ‘’During the Lok Sabha polls, you worked against BSP candidates and supported ‘opposition’ candidates in Agra, Fatehpur Sikri, Aligarh, Hathras and on other seats. While you have been suspended from the party and removed as chief whip of the BSP in Assembly, you will neither be invited nor allowed to attend any party meetings.”
During the recent elections, Upadhyay openly sought support for Bharatiya Janata Party candidates in Aligarh and also candidates on other seats. His brother Mukul Upadhyay had joined the BJP in February after which there were speculations that he too could join the saffron party along with his wife Seema.
Upadhyay was found hobnobbing with senior BJP leaders after his wife Seema Upadhyay refused to contest from Fatehpur Sikri (Agra rural) constituency on BSP ticket against Congress candidate Raj Babbar and BJP’s Raj Kumar Chahar.
In 2009, Seema Upadhyay was elected from Fatehpur Sikri seat on BSP ticket.
