SP expels its lone Madhya Pradesh MLA for crossing over to BJP

The Samajwadi Party on Tuesday said it has expelled MLA Rajesh Kumar Shukla from the party's primary membership in the wake of his "anti-party activities" and switching over to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in Madhya Pradesh.

Shukla, the lone SP MLA in Madhya Pradesh, along with an MLA of the Bahujan Samaj Party and an independent legislator joined the BJP in Bhopal on Tuesday in the presence Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

Now, the SP has no legislator in the 230-member state assembly.

After Shukla joined the BJP, SP's Madhya Pradesh unit president Ramayan Patel, while talking to PTI, claimed "the ruling BJP is showing its money power and luring MLAs from opposition parties into its fold, resulting in the murder of democracy."

He said Shukla has been expelled from the SP's primary membership for indulging in anti-party activities and joining hands with the BJP.

"We are also trying to ensure that his Assembly membership gets terminated, and will take swift action in the matter after discussing it with the Samajwadi Party's national president, Akhilesh Yadav," Patel said.

He also said that Shukla's move to switch over to the BJP will not affect the SP's prospects in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections due next year.

"We will contest the Assembly polls with full preparation," Patel said, and claimed the next government in Madhya Pradesh will not be formed without the SP's support.

Shukla represents Bijawar Assembly seat in Chhattarpur district.

Besides Shukla, BSP's Sanjeev Singh Kushwaha (MLA from Bhind) and Independent legislator Vikram Singh Rana (from Susner) also joined the BJP on Tuesday.