NEW DELHI– Considerable unrest is brewing in the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) as party supremo Mayawati has expelled some leaders commanding respect.

Mayawati on Thursday expelled Majid Ali, the party’s candidate from the Saharanpur Lok Sabha constituency, and his popular brother and film actor Kamaal Rashid Khan (KRK).

Majid Ali’s candidacy had been fraught with controversy, including allegations of anti-party activities and collaboration with Raghav Lakhanpal, the BJP candidate. Despite these issues, Ali was confident of his victory until the election results were announced, revealing he had garnered less than 200,000 votes – an unprecedented low for a BSP candidate in Saharanpur.

In response to his expulsion, a senior BSP official stated: “Majid Ali’s actions during the campaign were not aligned with the party’s values. His lack of commitment was evident and this decision by Mayawati ji reflects our zero-tolerance policy towards such behaviour.”

Majid Ali’s political journey with the BSP dates back several years. His wife, Tasneem Bano, had won the District Panchayat President position in 2016 under the BSP banner, solidifying their family’s ties with the party. Despite leaving the BSP to join the Azad Samaj Party in 2021 due to a ticket dispute, Ali returned to the BSP in 2023.