Insiders suggest that Shamsuddin Rain's expulsion may be linked to his alleged failure to respond to a phone call from party supremo Mayawati
LUCKNOW – The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has expelled senior leader Shamsuddin Rain, citing indiscipline and factionalism. Rain, a prominent Muslim face of the party, was recently appointed to oversee the party’s organisation in the Uttar Pradesh cities of Lucknow, Kanpur and Prayagraj divisions.
According to a statement from state party president Vishwanath Pal on Thursday, Rain was repeatedly warned about his behaviour but failed to change his ways. The decision to expel him was reportedly made by national president Mayawati, who deemed it necessary for the party’s interests.
Insiders suggest that Rain’s expulsion may be linked to his alleged failure to respond to “Behenji’s phone call”. The party supremo Mayawati, known for her political tantrums, is lovingly addressed as Behenji by her supporters.
Rain rose from being a booth-level worker in his home district, Jhansi, to being a key strategist in the party. An OBC Muslim himself, he worked to bring Dalits and Muslims together, especially in west Uttar Pradesh, where he was a party coordinator for different districts several times.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, he was entrusted with the responsibility of improving the party’s graph in west Uttar Pradesh districts. Out of the 10 seats that the party won in the 2019 elections, four were from this area.
His association with BSP goes back to 1996, when he started working for the party at the booth level. However, his stint with the BSP was marred by controversies related to ticket distribution during elections.
