Lucknow: In a dramatic turn of events, the Samajwadi Party (SP) has expelled its MLA Pooja Pal from Kaushambi’s Chail constituency after she publicly lauded Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in the state assembly.
Pal’s praise for Yogi’s zero-tolerance policy against criminals, particularly her reference to the elimination of mafia don Atiq Ahmad, didn’t sit well with SP chief Akhilesh Yadav. Within a day, she was shown the door. Unfazed, Pal stood her ground, declaring herself the voice of the poor and oppressed women who elected her. So, who is Pooja Pal, and why has her expulsion sparked such a stir?
A Voice Born From Tragedy
Pooja Pal’s life is a story of resilience forged in loss. In 2005, just 10 days after her marriage to Raju Pal, a Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MLA from Allahabad West, her world got shattered. Raju was gunned down in broad daylight in Prayagraj, allegedly by mafia don Atiq Ahmad and his brother Ashraf. The murder, one of Uttar Pradesh’s most infamous, thrust Pooja into the spotlight. The BSP fielded her in the bypoll to replace her husband, but she lost to Ashraf. Undeterred, she fought on.
In 2007, Pooja turned the tables, defeating Ashraf to become an MLA from Allahabad West on a BSP ticket. She held the seat in 2012, even besting Atiq Ahmad himself. But in 2017, BJP’s Siddharth Nath Singh ended her winning streak. By 2019, after falling out with the BSP, Pooja joined the SP. In 2022, she won the Chail seat in Kaushambi, cementing her political presence. Her journey from a grieving widow to a formidable politician has made her a symbol of defiance against criminal intimidation.
The Assembly Speech That Cost Her
During a discussion on ‘Viksit UP 2047’ in the UP Legislative Assembly, Pooja Pal spoke from the heart. She thanked Yogi Adityanath for his zero-tolerance policy, crediting it with delivering justice to women like her, victimised by criminals like Atiq Ahmad. “His policies have uplifted women and ensured justice for families affected by Atiq Ahmad,” she said, alluding to the 2023 killing of Atiq and Ashraf in police custody. Her words, bold and unapologetic, were a direct challenge to the SP’s narrative, given its past ties to Atiq during Mulayam Singh Yadav’s era.
The backlash was swift. Akhilesh Yadav, already wary of Pal’s history of rebellion — she cross-voted for the BJP in the 2024 Rajya Sabha polls — expelled her the next day.
Posts on X buzzed with speculation, some calling it a purge of dissenters within the SP, others praising Pal’s courage.
Pooja’s Defiant Response
Pal didn’t mince words after her ouster. “I am the voice of every poor, helpless mother and sister who sent me here,” she declared. “When something is right, I’ll say it’s right.” She accused Akhilesh of double standards, claiming he never supported her despite her victimhood. “He always sided with the same criminal mafia,” she said, hinting at the SP’s past association with Atiq. Yet, she clarified she has no immediate plans to join the BJP, despite her frequent meetings with its leaders, including Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya and PM Narendra Modi at the Prayagraj Maha Kumbh in 2025.
A History Of Tensions
Pooja’s relationship with the SP has been rocky. In 2019, she joined the party after the BSP expelled her, suspecting she was cozying up to the BJP. She accused Akhilesh of sidelining her, pointing to an incident where her Lok Sabha ticket from Unnao was cancelled for “technical reasons.” Her brother, Umesh Pal, a key witness in Raju’s murder case, also briefly joined the SP before returning to the BJP. Umesh’s murder in 2023, allegedly by Atiq’s son, deepened Pooja’s fears, prompting her to seek Y+ security from Yogi.
Her defiance isn’t new. In 2024, she faced an FIR for allegedly grabbing land in Prayagraj, a case she dismissed as political vendetta. Her cross-voting in the Rajya Sabha elections and appearances at BJP events have long fuelled speculation of a switch to the saffron camp. Yet, Pooja insists she’s driven by justice, not party loyalty.
Why It Matters
Pooja Pal’s expulsion is more than a party spat — it’s a window into Uttar Pradesh’s volatile politics, where personal tragedies, criminal legacies, and power plays collide. Her praise for Yogi’s anti-crime stance, rooted in her own loss, has struck a chord with many, especially women who see her as a fighter. But it’s also a blow to Akhilesh, who faces criticism for stifling dissent as the SP gears up for bypolls.
Will Pooja join the BJP, as many predict? Or will she carve her own path, perhaps as an independent for now?