Four SP MLAs, who cross-voted in RS polls, get Y security cover

Those given the Y security cover included Unchahar (Rae Bareli) MLA Manoj Pandey, Kalpi (Jalaun) MLA Vinod Chaturvedi, Gauriganj (Amethi) MLA Rakesh Pratap Singh and Goshaiganj (Ayodhya) MLA Abhay Singh, a senior official confirmed.

Four of the seven Samajwadi Party (SP) MLAs, who cross-voted in favour of the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Rajya Sabha polls for 10 Uttar Pradesh seats in February, were provided Y category security cover, senior government officials said here on Saturday.

For Representation Only (HT File)

Those given the Y security cover included Unchahar (Rae Bareli) MLA Manoj Pandey, Kalpi (Jalaun) MLA Vinod Chaturvedi, Gauriganj (Amethi) MLA Rakesh Pratap Singh and Goshaiganj (Ayodhya) MLA Abhay Singh, a senior official confirmed.

While Abhay Singh got the Y security cover on Friday, the others received it on Saturday, the official said.

These four MLAs will get a security detail of eight Central Reserve Paramilitary Force (CRPF) personnel, a police official said. Five of these personnel will guard the MLAs’ residences while the three others will travel with the lawmakers wherever they go.

Abhay Singh had earlier apprehended a threat from the Lawrence Bishnoi gang shooters, who tried to target him during the 2022 Uttar Pradesh assembly polls.

In 2023, a National Investigation Agency team arrested Abhay Singh’s archrival Vikas Singh, resident of Ayodhya, for giving shelter to some shooters of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang at his Ayodhya residence during the 2022 assembly polls.