NEW DELHI: In a significant development for the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), party president Mayawati has declared the immediate expulsion of former Rajya Sabha member Ashok Siddarth. This decision comes less than a year after he was re-inducted into the party in September 2025.
Mayawati emphasized that the expulsion was made in the interest of the party and its movement. On her social media platform X, she stated, “In the interest of the party and the movement, Ashok Siddarth has been expelled from the BSP with immediate effect and will not be taken back into the party in the future.”
Elaborating on the reasons behind this dismissal, Mayawati recalled that Siddarth had been expelled previously due to “indiscipline” during the Maharashtra assembly elections. This included issues regarding coordination with the party’s state unit on ticket distribution matters.
Furthermore, she pointed out that Siddarth was later given organizational responsibilities in states beyond Uttar Pradesh to aid in fortifying the party’s presence. However, despite repeated warnings, complaints concerning Siddarth’s indiscipline and disregard for party directives arose from Karnataka, Odisha, and West Bengal.
Mayawati also mentioned that Siddarth had been relieved of all party duties as of Saturday. She alleged that there were rumors circulating about his potential return to Uttar Pradesh, which she believes are being intentionally spread to create confusion among party members and disrupt the BSP’s preparations for the upcoming Uttar Pradesh assembly elections.
It’s worth noting that Siddarth, who is the father-in-law of Mayawati’s nephew Akash Anand, was initially expelled from the BSP in February last year due to accusations of “anti-party” activities. Following that, he was re-inducted after assuring the leadership that such issues would not recur.
In addition to Siddarth’s expulsion, Mayawati announced the removal of Randhir Singh Beniwal, the party’s coordinator, due to similar instances of indiscipline and breach of party directives. Beniwal was tasked with organizational responsibilities across Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir.
Mayawati also clarified a change in the BSP’s organizational policy, stating that senior office-bearers and coordinators from Uttar Pradesh currently handling responsibilities in other states would not be granted any organizational roles within Uttar Pradesh.
