Lucknow:
The Samajwadi Party has expelled its leader Azam Khan for six years. This comes shortly after Azam Khan's resignation from the post of the deputy leader of Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh Assembly.
"This should have been done much earlier. I think this decision is better late than never but had it been taken earlier he could not have damaged our performance," Azam Khan said.
His relations with the party had deteriorated just before the elections, especially with Amar Singh when he had allegedly campaigned against Jaya Prada -- the SP candidate from Rampur.
He had resigned as general secretary a few days ago. When he had stepped down as general secretary, party leader Amar Singh had said that Azam Khan would work for the party. But now Azam has been expelled.
"I am resigning from the post of deputy leader of the party in the assembly because of Amar Singh. He has no right to ask for the resignation of an elected leader like me," he said.
Azam Khan was locked in a bitter tussle with the party leadership on the issue of inclusion of Kalyan Singh in the Samajwadi Party.
"Our dishonest politicians don't approve of anger. It's the party's loss. I will just keep distancing myself from them," he said.
The battle further turned murkier with the candidature of Jaya Prada from Rampur, which was opposed by Azam Khan. And when the battle turned ugly, Amar Singh had threatened to resign from the party. This prompted SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav to intervene.