Discipline over dissent: Akhilesh Yadav's warning shots

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on August 14 expelled Chail MLA Pooja Pal from the party. Pal had praised the Yogi government for giving her justice in the murder case of her husband, Raju Pal. Former SP leader Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf Ahmed were accused in the case. In April 2023, both were murdered in police custody.

This was not the first time Pal had shown signs of rebellion. In February 2024, she voted for BJP candidate Sanjay Seth in the Rajya Sabha polls, and during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, she campaigned for the BJP. Her expulsion was therefore considered a mere formality. In June this year, the party expelled three MLAs for voting for the BJP during the Rajya Sabha polls.

SP leader Akhilesh Yadav is working hard to put the house in order ahead of the 2027 assembly elections. The party's performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections has given a boost to his efforts, and he wants to be stricter. With these expulsions, he is sending out a message to leaders who have, on different occasions, crossed the party line and made statements that created trouble.


The BJP is trying to present Pal's expulsion as evidence of the Samajwadi Party's alleged support for criminals. Pooja Pal belongs to the OBC community, and the BJP is also trying to highlight the fault lines in Yadav's PDA model. Akhilesh Yadav, on the other hand, is enforcing discipline and dedication among party leaders, and these expulsions are steps in that direction.