Danish Ali’s suspension: Why it can harm the BSP’s chances in the west of Uttar Pradesh in the Lok Sabha elections

Leaders within the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) believe that Mayawati’s decision to suspend Amroha MP Kunwar Danish Ali, just one day after he publicly backed Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra in the cash-for-query case, could harm the party’s chances of winning west UP in the Lok Sabha elections.

Ali is a strong opponent of the BJP on matters pertaining to the minority population and is one of the five Opposition MPs on the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee. His suspension follows the BSP’s recent expulsion of Imran Masood, who has considerable power in the Saharanpur area. Masood’s endorsement and Ali’s “close proximity” to the Congress and the Opposition INDIA group, according to a BSP leader, would probably give the Congress a boost in the Muslim-heavy regions of Saharanpur, Meerut, Moradabad, Bareilly, Aligarh, and Muzaffarnagar.