Former UP minister Rakesh Dhar Tripathi expelled from BSP

Former state minister and senior BSP leader Rakesh Dhar Tripathi was today expelled from the party along with his nephew for "indiscipline and anti-party activities".
Rakesh was expelled from the party along with his nephew Pankaj Tripathi. "Serious complaints against both had been received by the party wherein they had been charged with indiscipline and anti-party activities," R K Chaudhary and Akhilesh Ambedkar - the party's zonal coordinators for Allahabad and Mirzapur Divisions - said in a joint statement.
"The party got the allegations investigated and the duo were found guilty. Hence both of them have been expelled from the party with immediate effect", the statement said.

Rakesh, who was a minister in the previous Mayawati government in the state, had a chequered relationship with the BSP.
Formerly with the BJP, he had initially joined the BSP ahead of the 2007 assembly polls in the state which saw the party contesting elections with the help of a Dalit-Brahmin coalition and winning an absolute majority.
Rakesh, who won from Handia assembly segment falling in Allahabad district, was rewarded by BSP supremo and the then Chief Minister Mayawati with a cabinet berth.

He was accorded the Higher Education portfolio.
Allegations of corruption led to his expulsion from the cabinet in 2012, just ahead of the assembly polls which saw the rout of the BSP.

Rakesh, who parted ways with the BSP, contested as a candidate of fledgling outfit Pragatisheel Manav Samaj Party but lost to his Samajwadi Party rival Mahesh Narayan Singh by a margin of about 45,000 votes.
He returned to the BSP's fold thereafter and in the by-election for Handia necessitated by the sitting MLA's death in May, 2013, Pankaj fought as the BSP candidate though he was thrashed at the hustings by the deceased legislator's 26-year-old son Prashant Singh.
Nevertheless, the BSP reposed its trust in Rakesh and fielded him from Bhadohi Lok Sabha seat in general elections held this year, wherein the party drew a blank due to the strong wave generated by Narendra Modi-led BJP.

Rakesh lost the seat to BJP's Virendra Singh by margin of nearly 2. 5 lakh votes.