In a tactical move, the Samajwadi Party on Wednesday renominated Ms Jaya Bachchan to the Rajya Sabha.
This was a big surprise as there was widespread speculation that Ms Bachchan would be dropped due to her connection with the expelled leader, Mr Amar Singh.
Her renomination also stunned Mr Singh, who appears to be getting isolated from “old and trusted friends”, particularly the Bachchans.
While Ms Bachchan was said to be abroad, Mr Singh accused the SP chief, Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav, of “driving a wedge between him and the Bachchans”.
Mr Singh also “congratulated” Jaya Bhabi (Ms Bachchan) “for opting for the party in place of her devar (brother-in-law, or Mr Singh himself).”
The announcement on Ms Bachchan’s renomination was made in Lucknow by the SP’s UP unit chief, Mr Akhilesh Yadav, who is the SP chief’s son.
Ms Bachchan’s term was scheduled to end on July 4. This will, technically, be Ms Bachchan’s third term in the Upper House. She had cut off her links with Mr Amar Singh by staying away from his ‘Kshatriya rally’, which was attended by a few loyalists including Ms Jayaprada who were subsequently expelled.
Showing posts with label Amar Singh. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Amar Singh. Show all posts
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Monday, February 22, 2010
Amar, Javadekar join pro-Telangana stir; slam Centre
BJP leader Prakash Javadekar and expelled Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh today shared the stage for the cause of Telangana statehood and slammed the UPA government for not heeding to the demand of the people.
The two addressed a rally by pro-Telangana advocates from Andhra Pradesh here. Mr. Singh was seen joining Mr. Javadekar when the latter raised the “Jai-Jai Telangana” slogan from the dais.
Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha and senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley could not turn up.
Mr. Singh, who demanded carving out Poorvanchal, Harit Pradesh and Bundelkhand from Uttar Pradesh, said smaller states were necessary for a faster pace of development.
“When I was the General Secretary of SP, I could not openly support the demand for Telangana in Parliament as the party was against smaller states. Now, when I demand for Poorvanchal, Harit Pradesh or Bundelkhand, how can I remain silent for Telangana and Vidarbha,” he told the gathering.
Terming the Terms of Reference of the Justice Srikrishna Committee on Telangana as a “joke”, Mr. Singh said the document only reflected the Centre’s policy of “management by postponement.”
“They only see the protests against Telangana and not the support,” he said.
The two addressed a rally by pro-Telangana advocates from Andhra Pradesh here. Mr. Singh was seen joining Mr. Javadekar when the latter raised the “Jai-Jai Telangana” slogan from the dais.
Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha and senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley could not turn up.
Mr. Singh, who demanded carving out Poorvanchal, Harit Pradesh and Bundelkhand from Uttar Pradesh, said smaller states were necessary for a faster pace of development.
“When I was the General Secretary of SP, I could not openly support the demand for Telangana in Parliament as the party was against smaller states. Now, when I demand for Poorvanchal, Harit Pradesh or Bundelkhand, how can I remain silent for Telangana and Vidarbha,” he told the gathering.
Terming the Terms of Reference of the Justice Srikrishna Committee on Telangana as a “joke”, Mr. Singh said the document only reflected the Centre’s policy of “management by postponement.”
“They only see the protests against Telangana and not the support,” he said.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Amar to launch his own party, says brother
Former Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh’s brother Arvind Singh said that the expelled politician would launch his political party in Delhi before February 25.
An announcement to this effect would be made by Amar Singh at a press conference, Arvind Singh told newspersons here.
Deliberations were on to finalise the name of the new party and a decision on it would be taken soon, he said.
Arvind Singh, who had come out in support of his brother after his resignation from all party posts despite being at loggerheads with him earlier, said the new party would neither be an imitation of the Samajwadi Party nor would bear any resemblance to its name.
Amar Singh has had discussions with heads of different smaller political parties with a support base in eastern Uttar Pradesh to prepare political ground for his proposed party, his brother said and claimed that talks would also be held with RLD President Ajit Singh for forging an alliance.
An announcement to this effect would be made by Amar Singh at a press conference, Arvind Singh told newspersons here.
Deliberations were on to finalise the name of the new party and a decision on it would be taken soon, he said.
Arvind Singh, who had come out in support of his brother after his resignation from all party posts despite being at loggerheads with him earlier, said the new party would neither be an imitation of the Samajwadi Party nor would bear any resemblance to its name.
Amar Singh has had discussions with heads of different smaller political parties with a support base in eastern Uttar Pradesh to prepare political ground for his proposed party, his brother said and claimed that talks would also be held with RLD President Ajit Singh for forging an alliance.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Amar Singh, Jaya Prada expelled from SP
Terming Amar Singh and Jaya Prada as “intruders”, Samajwadi Party on Tuesday expelled them from the party on grounds of indulging in anti-party activities and denting its socialist image.
The decision was taken at the SP parliamentary board meeting chaired by party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav here, national general secretary and spokesman Mohan Singh told reporters.
He said the party also suspended membership of four MLAs -- Madan Chauhan, Sandeep Agarwal, Ashok Chandel and Sarvesh Singh -- all Amar Singh loyalists.
“For over a month some leaders of the party have been continuously giving statements against the SP,” Mr. Singh said.
He said that on January 31, Lok Sabha member Jaya Prada had held a press conference in which she made “indecent comments” against the SP leadership and spit venom against its policies.
“She also gave statements in support of Kalyan Singh, which the party thought had dented its secular image. Any leader, howsoever important, he or she cannot be allowed to make public statements against any political party,” he said.
“Therefore, the parliamentary board has decided to expel Jaya Prada from the primary membership of the party,” he said, adding that she was a “guided missile” of Amar Singh.
Mr. Singh said Amar Singh attempted to “deshape” the SP. “His entry in the party was capitalist and communal intrusion intended to damage the socialist movement,” he alleged.
He said that to free the party from such forces, the party decided to expel him from the primary membership with a “heavy heart”.
The SP spokesman said, “He (Amar) voluntarily floated Lok Manch, which is a parellel organisation to SP and repeatedly attempted to create a rift, engineer a split and dent the image of the party.
“SP’s policy is that of casteless politics, whereas Amar Singh attempted to promote casteist politics,” he alleged.
Mohan Singh said the party will move a petition before Lok Sabha Speaker and Rajya Sabha Chairman to disqualify them from the two Houses of Parliament on grounds of indulging in anti-party activities.
He said the four MLAs, who were “conspiring to engineer a split” in the party in UP and had become followers of Amar Singh, have been suspended from the primary membership of the party. “The state unit has been asked to make an inquiry into their conduct and take action against them“.
Regarding Jaya Bachchan, the SP spokesman said that so far she had not done anything which amounted to anti-party activity.
Asked about the future of Sanjay Dutt, another party General Secretary who quit his post to express solidarity with Amar Singh, he said the party does not take any cognisance of him.
“He was not associated with the party. After campaigning for the party in UP, he voted for the Congress in Maharashtra. As he has already resigned from the party post we do not take any congnisance of him anymore,” he said.
Alleging that Amar Singh dented the unity of the party, he said, “Before the disease spreads further, the party decided to do a corrective surgery”.
The decision was taken at the SP parliamentary board meeting chaired by party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav here, national general secretary and spokesman Mohan Singh told reporters.
He said the party also suspended membership of four MLAs -- Madan Chauhan, Sandeep Agarwal, Ashok Chandel and Sarvesh Singh -- all Amar Singh loyalists.
“For over a month some leaders of the party have been continuously giving statements against the SP,” Mr. Singh said.
He said that on January 31, Lok Sabha member Jaya Prada had held a press conference in which she made “indecent comments” against the SP leadership and spit venom against its policies.
“She also gave statements in support of Kalyan Singh, which the party thought had dented its secular image. Any leader, howsoever important, he or she cannot be allowed to make public statements against any political party,” he said.
“Therefore, the parliamentary board has decided to expel Jaya Prada from the primary membership of the party,” he said, adding that she was a “guided missile” of Amar Singh.
Mr. Singh said Amar Singh attempted to “deshape” the SP. “His entry in the party was capitalist and communal intrusion intended to damage the socialist movement,” he alleged.
He said that to free the party from such forces, the party decided to expel him from the primary membership with a “heavy heart”.
The SP spokesman said, “He (Amar) voluntarily floated Lok Manch, which is a parellel organisation to SP and repeatedly attempted to create a rift, engineer a split and dent the image of the party.
“SP’s policy is that of casteless politics, whereas Amar Singh attempted to promote casteist politics,” he alleged.
Mohan Singh said the party will move a petition before Lok Sabha Speaker and Rajya Sabha Chairman to disqualify them from the two Houses of Parliament on grounds of indulging in anti-party activities.
He said the four MLAs, who were “conspiring to engineer a split” in the party in UP and had become followers of Amar Singh, have been suspended from the primary membership of the party. “The state unit has been asked to make an inquiry into their conduct and take action against them“.
Regarding Jaya Bachchan, the SP spokesman said that so far she had not done anything which amounted to anti-party activity.
Asked about the future of Sanjay Dutt, another party General Secretary who quit his post to express solidarity with Amar Singh, he said the party does not take any cognisance of him.
“He was not associated with the party. After campaigning for the party in UP, he voted for the Congress in Maharashtra. As he has already resigned from the party post we do not take any congnisance of him anymore,” he said.
Alleging that Amar Singh dented the unity of the party, he said, “Before the disease spreads further, the party decided to do a corrective surgery”.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Amar Singh must quit Rajya Sabha: Mohan Singh
The Samajwadi Party (SP) on Thursday mounted pressure on the former general secretary, Amar Singh, to resign his Rajya Sabha seat. He was re-elected to the Rajya Sabha on the SP ticket in November 2008.
Speaking to journalists, the new party spokesman, Mohan Singh, said that Mr. Amar Singh, who has resigned from key party posts, must give up his Rajya Sabha seat on moral grounds. “If not, then the party will find a way out [for him to do so].”
When informed that he had reportedly refused to do so, Mr. Mohan Singh retorted, “There is a limit to being shameless. He has been teaching everybody a lesson on morality but after his refusal to quit it has now become clear who is moral and who is not. His political aim is to remain in some post through some party. Politics is not his real motive.”
Mr. Mohan Singh, who has replaced Mr. Amar Singh in all party posts, said the party wanted Mr. Amar Singh to resign. Asked if the party president Mulayam Singh too wanted it, he said, “the party wants it and Mr. Mulayam Singh is part of the party.”
(However, when The Hindu asked Mr. Mulayam Singh, who was in Delhi for Janeshwar Mishra’s condolence meeting, he declined to say anything on the subject.)
On the new office-bearers, Mr. Mohan Singh said, “The party is back to its socialist moorings and any distortions that had crept in would be rectified.”
Meanwhile on Thursday, the party announced the appointment of the former Minister, Rasheed Masood, as national vice-president. The former Minister, Ata-Ur-Rehman and the former MLA, Suneelam, were appointed as secretaries.
Speaking to journalists, the new party spokesman, Mohan Singh, said that Mr. Amar Singh, who has resigned from key party posts, must give up his Rajya Sabha seat on moral grounds. “If not, then the party will find a way out [for him to do so].”
When informed that he had reportedly refused to do so, Mr. Mohan Singh retorted, “There is a limit to being shameless. He has been teaching everybody a lesson on morality but after his refusal to quit it has now become clear who is moral and who is not. His political aim is to remain in some post through some party. Politics is not his real motive.”
Mr. Mohan Singh, who has replaced Mr. Amar Singh in all party posts, said the party wanted Mr. Amar Singh to resign. Asked if the party president Mulayam Singh too wanted it, he said, “the party wants it and Mr. Mulayam Singh is part of the party.”
(However, when The Hindu asked Mr. Mulayam Singh, who was in Delhi for Janeshwar Mishra’s condolence meeting, he declined to say anything on the subject.)
On the new office-bearers, Mr. Mohan Singh said, “The party is back to its socialist moorings and any distortions that had crept in would be rectified.”
Meanwhile on Thursday, the party announced the appointment of the former Minister, Rasheed Masood, as national vice-president. The former Minister, Ata-Ur-Rehman and the former MLA, Suneelam, were appointed as secretaries.
