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BSP's Mayawati expels ex-MP Siddharth again; says won’t get re-entry

The party’s national coordinator Randhir Singh Beniwal, who was in charge of the organisation in Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh, also expelled.

Updated on: Aug 3, 2026, 10:47:03 IST
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Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) national president Mayawati on Sunday expelled senior party leader and former Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Siddharth from the party on charges of anti-party activities for the second time in nearly 18 months and made it clear he will not be taken back into the party under any circumstances in the future.

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) national president Mayawati and expelled senior party leader Ashok Siddharth (HT )
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) national president Mayawati and expelled senior party leader Ashok Siddharth (HT )

National coordinator Randhir Singh Beniwal, who was in-charge of the party in Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh, has also been expelled on the charge of anti-party activities. Mayawati made the announcement on X.

Siddharth is the father-in-law of Akash Anand, Mayawati’s nephew and BSP national convener. Siddharth was in charge of party affairs in Karnataka, Delhi, Gujarat, Odisha and West Bengal.

Mayawati had expelled Siddharth from the party in February 2025 and reinstated him in September of that year.

In a post on X on Sunday, Mayawati said he did not fulfil his duties properly in the states where he was given responsibility as a BSP coordinator. “Not only in Karnataka but also from Odisha and West Bengal, reports of his indiscipline—that is, violation of party directives—kept coming in continuously. Since no improvement was observed despite repeated warnings, Ashok Siddharth was relieved of all party responsibilities on Saturday,” she said.

Also read: Focus should be on reforming education system, not Pradhan’s resignation: BSP chief Mayawati

After this, the reports of his return to UP are a deliberate conspiracy to create confusion within the party and affect the campaign for the upcoming UP assembly elections, the BSP president said.

Ask HT

Frequently Asked Questions

Why was Ashok Siddharth expelled from the BSP?

Ashok Siddharth was expelled for anti-party activities, including indiscipline and violation of directives related to party ticket distribution in the Maharashtra elections.

Who else was expelled alongside Ashok Siddharth?

National coordinator Randhir Singh Beniwal was also expelled on charges of anti-party activities.

What was the condition under which Ashok Siddharth was reinstated previously?

He was reinstated on the condition that he would not repeat mistakes and would work on strengthening the party's base in states outside Uttar Pradesh.

What changes were made in the BSP's organizational structure?

Ramji Gautam has been reappointed as in-charge of Punjab along with other states, and a policy decision was made that no Uttar Pradesh leaders assigned responsibilities in other states will be given roles back in Uttar Pradesh.
 
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