BSP expels Nasimuddin Siddiqui, son from party
LUKCNOW: BSP chief Mayawati on Wednesday expelled senior party leader and one time close aide Naseemuddin Siddiqui, along with his son Afzal for anti-party activities. Siddiqui has been charged with accepting bribe in lieu of work.
Sharing information about the BSP supremo's decision, party national general secretary Satish Chandra Mishra said that the party had been receiving complaints about Naseemuddin Siddiqui's involvement in corrupt practices for a while.
Satish Chandra Mishra also accused him of not fulfilling his responsibilities in earnest during the recently-concluded Uttar Pradesh (UP) Assembly polls. Afzal Siddiqui was also expelled.
Levelling serious charges of corruption against Naseemuddin Siddiqui, Satish Chandra Mishra said he had a number of benami properties in his name in western UP apart from having a number of illegal slaughterhouses.
Mishra accused the veteran leader, who once used to be a close confidante of party chief Mayawati, as indulging in indiscipline. "He was called by Behen Mayawatiji, but he did not turn up despite repeated reminders," he said.
Mayawati had sidelined Naseemuddin Siddiqui in the party and stripped him of his role in UP, however, later he was given charge of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.
The blue brigade’s tallest Muslim leader till Tuesday, Naseemuddin Siddiqui was gradually pushed into political oblivion in the State by the leadership.
Siddiqui was suddenly pushed to the boundary by chief Mayawati in a re-formulated scheme
of social engineering after the major drubbing of 2014 Lok Sabha and 2017 UP Assembly polls.
Already given charge of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh with a minimal role in UP, he struggled to retain his post of party general secretary and his stature in the blue brigade.
BSP had only two general secretaries, both Maya’s close aides -- SC Mishra and Nassimuddin Siddiqui.
According to the political grapevine, Mayawati feels that Siddiqui, who has addressed as
many rallies as Mayawati during the UP polls, failed to mobilise minority support in party's favour.
Of late, BSP has been facing the crisis of a second line of leadership. With several senior leaders including Swami Prasad Maurya and Brijesh Pathak leaving the party ahead of the UP polls, Mayawati was left just with two of her lieutenants –SC Mishra and Naseemuddin Siddiqui.