Lucknow: Days after they went public with their criticism of the party leadership, three Samajwadi Party (SP) leaders were expelled Sunday for anti-party activities, according to a statement released to the press.
Those expelled are Pradeep Tiwari, former national president of Samajwadi Party Lohia Vahini; Brajesh Yadav, former state president of the Yuvjan Sabha; and Purnendu Tiwari, aka P.D. Tiwari, a former state secretary of the party.
Lohia Vahini and Yuvjan Sabha are among the four youth wings of the SP.
The action followed their going public last week against the party leadership and targeting a former member of the legislative council (MLC), Udayveer Singh, for allegedly misleading party chief Akhilesh Yadav.
The outburst followed the party’s announcement of national and state heads for its four frontal organisations on 26 July. The three didn’t make the cut.
Purnendu Tiwari, once considered close to the party chief, had fought the assembly poll from Deoria’s Barhaj seat in 2017. Brajesh Yadav and Pradeep Tiwari were at the forefront of the activities of the party’s frontal organisations which played a key role in Akhilesh’s ascent in Uttar Pradesh politics.
These organisations, show media reports, are also credited with the party’s victory in 2012 when it emerged as the single-largest party in the state.
ThePrint reached former MLC Udayveer Singh for a comment on the allegations levelled against him by the three, but he refused to comment, saying that the party took its decision on the report of the district presidents. “I am a small worker of the party. You can ask the state president about it,” he said.
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‘Denied ticket because of Udayveer’
Speaking to media persons last week, Brajesh Yadav had publicly targeted former MLC and party spokesperson Udayveer Singh for “finishing the party leadership in eastern UP”. The leaders then allegedly decided to launch a campaign in Lucknow University to expose how “youngsters coming from poor families were being exploited in SP”.
Brajesh said he was denied a party ticket in the 2022 assembly polls as Singh had complained to Akhilesh Yadav about him.
“I will retire from politics and stay in another state but I want to say that (he is) such a big conspirator (Singh) who finished all leaders in Purvanchal….it is his target to finish Yadav leaders who work and struggle for the community. I was the last wicket,” he said in a purported video.
“He has finished several leaders. Arvind Giri has been made the state head of Yuvjan Sabha and he (still) asks me to talk to young leaders. Is this politics, is this struggle? We had dreamt of doing politics with Akhilesh Yadav. Now, Akhilesh Yadav has uprooted the sapling he planted himself at the behest of such behroopiyas (impersonators).”
Brajesh also accused Singh of finishing his career and that of many others, adding that he gives feedback on them to the party leadership and “misleads the party president”.
“Akhileshji does not listen with his own ears but with those of others,” he said.
‘SP doesn’t need youngsters anymore’
Speaking to a news channel last week, Brajesh also said that he wanted to warn youngsters of the SP that while they (party leaders) have finished Brajesh Yadav, other party leaders such as P.D. Tiwari, Pradeep Tiwari, Ramesh Yadav and Dinesh Yadav, would also be finished tomorrow.
“Those staying around SP (leadership) are enemies of hardcore voters of the party,” said Brajesh.
Pradeep Tiwari, also speaking to the same news channel, added that the SP has strayed from its path and the national president, too, has lost his aim.
“In SP, there is no need for youngsters anymore. We dedicated 24-25 years of our lives. We saw our future with Akhilesh Yadav. We associated with the party in 1997 as we drew inspiration from Netaji (Mulayam Singh). Today, Akhilesh Yadavji has deeply hurt us. Our fight is not for any post or position, any selfish ends or greed, but for our honour, self-respect,” said Tiwari.
Speaking to a news portal, Purnendu Tiwari said that they had a deep link with struggles of the SP and had been associated with Akhilesh since his first election.
“We went to jail as part of the party’s andolans. Under the Mayawati government, I was one of those jailed during the first such andolan in front of the UP assembly. When the national president formed the government, we didn’t ask for any position of minister…. Three years ago, Udayveer Singh told me that he would not let me get a ticket from the party. Udayveer is a thug who gives protection to mafias of Gorakhpur and targets those who come from Yadav, backward or brahmin communities, the public of Etah should beat him with chappals and drive him out,” he said.
(Edited by Smriti Sinha)
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