(EDs: Updating with background)

The BSP today demanded disqualification of its former leader Nasimuddin Siddiqui from the membership of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council.
In a letter to the Legislative Council, Chairman Ramesh Yadav, Leader of the BSP Legislature Party in the Upper House Sunil Kumar Chittor informed that Siddiqui had joined another party on Feburary 18 after resigning from Mayawati's party on his own.
Hence, it amounted to violation of the anti-defection law, BSP national general secretary SC Misra said, quoting Chittor's letter to the Council chairman.
Siddiqui had become a BSP MLC on January 23, 2015 and quit the party to join the Congress on February 18.

In November last year, Council Chairman Ramesh Yadav had rejected the Bahujan Samaj Party's petition to disqualify Siddiqui as a member of the legislative council on the ground that he had left the party.
In an application to the council chairman on June 29, the party had demanded that Siddiqui should not be given any facility or allowance that he used to enjoy as a legislator.

At that time too, Chittor had sent the application to the chairman citing various rules, seeking that Siddiqui be disqualified from membership with effect from May 27.
It was on May 27 that Siddiqui floated a new outfit, the Rashtriya Bahujan Morcha, after he was expelled from the BSP.

The BSP in its petition had said that Siddiqui was elected on a BSP ticket and since he was no longer associated with the party, he should be disqualified from the membership of the council.
Siddiqui and four former UP ministers had last week formally joined the Congress.