LUCKNOW: The Samajwadi Party (SP) on Thursday expelled party MLA Puja Pal for alleged anti-party activities and indiscipline, a day after she praised Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for delivering justice to women following the decimation of the empire of gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed, which culminated in his killing.
Notably, Atiq Ahmed was an accused in the 2005 murder case of former BSP legislator Raju Pal, the husband of Puja Pal, who extended her gratitude to CM Yogi for delivering justice to women under the government’s anti-crime policies.
In a letter, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav accused Puja Pal of indulging in activities that harmed the party. “The action taken by you is against the party and amounts to a serious breach of discipline. Hence, you are being expelled from the Samajwadi Party with immediate effect. Additionally, you will be removed from the party’s other posts and you will not take part in any event/meetings of the party, nor will you be invited," he said.
It may be recalled that the SP, on 23 June 2025, had expelled three of its seven MLAs who had allegedly cross-voted during the Rajya Sabha elections in February last year to extend support to NDA candidates, claiming they supported “a divisive and communal ideology against the party’s harmonious socialist ideology”. Those expelled in June included the party’s chief whip Manoj Pandey (Unchahar in Rae Bareli), Abhay Singh (Gosainganj in Ayodhya) and Rakesh Pratap Singh (Gauriganj in Amethi). The SP leadership had claimed that despite being given a “grace period” to allow a change of heart, the time was now over.
Meanwhile, Puja Pal’s expulsion drew a sharp reaction from the BJP, which attacked the Samajwadi Party. The ruling party alleged that both the Congress and SP prioritised families over deprived sections of society.
“After ST Minister sacked by Congress for speaking truth in Karnataka, now SP sacks OBC MLA for speaking truth. For Parivarvadis Parivar First. OBC SC/ST welfare last,” said a BJP spokesperson.
Reacting to her expulsion, Puja Pal stood by her remarks, saying CM Adityanath had worked to deliver justice to people affected by Atiq Ahmed’s criminal activities in Uttar Pradesh.
“I am the voice of all the poor and helpless mothers and sisters who have sent me here. I only want to say that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has worked to deliver justice to the people of families affected by Atiq Ahmad in Uttar Pradesh… When something is right, it will be called right," she told media persons.
It may be recalled that in 2005, BSP MLA Raju Pal was shot dead in Prayagraj shortly after his marriage to Puja Pal. In February 2023, lawyer Umesh Pal, a crucial witness to the murder, was killed in Prayagraj’s Sulem Saray area by Atiq Ahmad’s son, who allegedly led his henchmen to attack the lawyer.
Atiq and his brother Ashraf Ahmad were the main suspects in the case and were arrested by the police. Later, Atiq Ahmed and his brother were shot dead in police custody while being taken for a medical check-up on 15 April 2023.
Puja Pal’s remarks were made during the 24-hour marathon discussion on ‘Vision Document 2047’ in the UP Assembly on Wednesday, when she thanked Yogi Adityanath for eliminating Atiq Ahmad and lauded his zero-tolerance policies.
“Everyone knows who murdered my husband (Raju Pal). I want to thank the Chief Minister for bringing me justice and hearing me when nobody else did. The CM gave justice to many other women like me in Prayagraj by bringing in policies like zero tolerance that led to the killing of criminals like Atiq Ahmed. Today, the entire state looks at the CM with trust," she said.
Puja Pal had been just nine days into her married life when tragedy struck and she lost her husband Raju Pal, the BSP MLA, who was murdered allegedly by Atiq’s brother Ashraf. Atiq Ahmed allegedly ambushed Raju Pal’s convoy in broad daylight, killing him and two associates.
The killing was widely seen as political retribution for Raju’s recent electoral victory over Ashraf Ahmed in the Allahabad West Assembly constituency in 2005. Puja was just 25 then, and her life turned into a battle for justice.
When the by-election to Raju’s seat was announced, BSP chief and then CM Mayawati personally handed Puja the party ticket. She lost the by-poll, but her political journey had begun. In the 2007 Assembly elections, Puja again contested from Allahabad West and won, repeating her victory in 2012.
However, she lost the 2017 contest to BJP’s Siddharth Nath Singh. Soon after, she left the BSP and joined the Samajwadi Party, where Akhilesh Yadav offered her a ticket from Chail in Kaushambi district. She won the seat in 2022, marking her return to the Assembly.
Atiq Ahmed was a dreaded gangster-turned-politician with over 100 criminal cases, including murder, kidnapping and extortion, lodged against him. His criminal career spanned four decades. He was also a five-time MLA and a former Lok Sabha MP from the Samajwadi Party.