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The Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), an ally of the Congress-led UPA, on Tuesday expelled two of its MPs, one of whom has joined Uttar Pradesh's ruling Samajwadi Party.
Devendra Nagpal (Amroha) and Sarika Singh Baghel (Hathras) were earlier issued show cause notice by party president Ajit Singh. While Baghel chose not to respond, Nagpal sought two months time.
Angry at this, Ajit Singh, also the civil aviation minister, signed their expulsion order on Tuesday.
"We were forced to take a grim view of the whole thing because both MPs did not refute charges of anti-party activities levelled at them," a senior leader told the news agency.
Sarita Singh Baghel has defected to the Samajwadi Party and has been declared a candidate from the Agra Lok Sabha constituency.
The move comes on the day when the party's state unit is in a huddle at Mathura.
The RLD has five Lok Sabha MPs, all from western Uttar Pradesh. It has urged Lok Sabha speaker Meira Kumar to disqualify the two expelled MPs under the anti-defection law.
Nagpal has also moved closer to the SP and has attended its functions.
