Mayawati expels Natwar Singh from BSP

Lucknow, Nov 18 (IANS) Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati Tuesday expelled Former external affairs minister K. Natwar Singh from the party after he sought a Rajya Sabha seat.

Singh had quit the Congress party and joined the BSP four months back, only to be accused by Mayawati of indiscipline and anti-party activities.

There was no room in the BSP for a capitalist or an opportunist, the party said in a statement after Natwar Singh's expulsion.

"Natwar Singh was not only found to be indulging in activities subversive to the interests of our party, but far from taking any interest in the mission of the party, he had his own vested interests in joining the BSP,' party national general secretary and Mayawati's confidante Satish Chandra Misra said in a press release.

'Apparently, Singh's intent behind switching loyalties from the Congress to the BSP was to grab a Rajya Sabha berth and the moment he realised that he would not succeed in achieving his motive, he started indulging in anti-party activities," Misra said.

'Natwar Singh who had been active in politics and with the Congress for a long time, was told at the time of his entry into the BSP that this was not a run-of-the-mill political party and believed in giving top priority to the BSP movement. But he seemed to be only inclined towards furthering his personal political ambitions and interests,' he said in the release.

'Singh had expressed his desire for a Rajya Sabha berth but as there were several senior and truly dedicated party workers who merited priority over him, he was told in no uncertain terms that there was neither any room for a capitalist nor an opportunist."