Lucknow/New Delhi, Feb. 2: The Samajwadi Party on Tuesday expelled Rajya Sabha MP Amar Singh and his close associate, Lok Sabha MP Jaya Prada. Four other MLAs were also suspended for anti-party activities.

Describing himself as a "bird out of the cage", the expelled SP leader indicated that his options were open. Sources disclosed that he was looking at a possible political tie-up with the Congress in Uttar Pradesh.

Though Ms Jaya Bachchan also came out in support of Mr Singh and criticised the decision to expel him, no action was taken against her. "I dare the party to take action against Jaya Bachchan," Mr Amar Singh told this newspaper. He also pointed out that "given a choice between me and the SP, Jayajee has made it clear that she will be on my side".

The decision to expel Mr Singh and Ms Jaya Prada was taken at the parliamentary board meeting chaired by SP president Mulayam Singh Yadav in Lucknow on Tuesday. Talking to reporters in Lucknow after the meeting, party general secretary and spokesman Mohan Singh said Mr Amar Singh and Ms Jaya Prada had been expelled for indulging in anti-party activities and damaging the party’s image. Mr Mohan Singh said the party would take legal opinion and move a petition before the Lok Sabha Speaker and the Rajya Sabha Chairman to disqualify the two leaders from both Houses of Parliament on grounds of indulging in anti-party activities.

Claiming that Mr Amar Singh was trying to dent the SP’s socialist image, the party general secretary accused him of "violating" the party’s policy of "jaati todo (break the barriers of caste) and openly advocating his new casteist policy by asking Thakurs to unite behind him". Mr Mohan Singh said Ms Jaya Prada was working like a "misguided missile" for Mr Amar Singh.

In New Delhi, Mr Amar Singh ruled out the possibility of quitting his Rajya Sabha seat, "I have earned the Rajya Sabha seat on my own and I deserve it. I will not quit the seat," he said. He claimed that "even Mulayam Singh Yadav had not asked me to do so when I had spoken to him a few days back". Expelled from the party, Mr Singh and Ms Jaya Prada could now prove to be major irritants for the SP in both Houses.

Mr Singh, who had been associated with the SP for 14 years, went on to "express gratitude" to Mr Mulayam Singh for "expelling" him. He added: "I have great respect for him whether I am in the party or not."

Asked about reports of his joining other political outfits, Mr Singh said: "I have had no discussion with anybody or any party, be it the BSP, Congress or NCP, or any other. I had only empathised with Ms Mayawati during a TV interview. She had a bitter experience with the SP after withdrawing support from that party. Since I am in a similar position now, I can understand her pain."

Stressing again that he was feeling "relieved" after the expulsion, Mr Singh wondered "what could be so wrong" about supporting computer usage and propagating the English language.

Shifting the responsibility for inducting former Hindutva icon and expelled BJP leader Kalyan Singh into the SP, Mr Singh said that when he was undergoing surgery in Singapore last year, both Mr Mulayam Singh and Mr Kalyan Singh had shared the same platform during the party’s national council meeting in Agra.

On Mr Mulayam Singh’s disproportionate assets case, Mr Singh said: "The only deal I tried to strike with the UPA government in 2008 was for exonerating Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav from the disproportionate assets case."

As for his future course of action, Mr Singh said he has formed the Lok Manch, a non-political forum, and "will work for the poor and unemployed by spreading awareness about computers and the English language."

The suspended MLAs are Ashok Chandel, Sarvesh Singh, Sandeep Agarwal and Madan Chauhan. The party has also asked the state unit to conduct an inquiry into their conduct and take further action against them.

Amita Verma and Pramod Kumar