On Saturday, December 9, the Bahujan Samaj Party suspended its MP Danish Ali for indulging in “anti-party” activities. The BSP claimed in a statement that Danish Ali had previously been warned about engaging in “anti-party” activities.
In a letter signed by Bahujan Samaj Party’s National General Secretary Satish Chandra Mishra to Danish Ali, the party said, “It was made clear to you earlier itself to not indulge in anti-party activities… It is also mandatory to make it clear to you… you were working with the Janata Dal (Secular) under Deve Gowda in Karnataka in 2018… at that time the BSP and Deve Gowda’s Janata Party were contesting the polls together and you were given a ticket from Amroha under the conditions that you would work for the party. Deve Gowda had even said that you would be contesting from the Amroha Lok Sabha seat on the grounds that you will be working for the BSP. However, despite winning from Amroha, you have forgotten all the promises and assurances you made and engaged in anti-party activities. Thus, the party has decided to suspend you with immediate effect.”
Apparently, Danish Ali was suspended from the BSP as he was supporting the Congress in Parliament. The Congress had also backed Ali on the challenges he was facing, prompting repeated threats from Mayawati’s party.
In the 2017 Karnataka Assembly elections, Ali played a significant role in the formation of a post-poll coalition between the JD(S) and Congress. Back then, was designated convenor of the five-member Coalition Coordination and Monitoring Committee set up by the two parties while they formed a short-lived JD(S)-Congress government.
Danish Ali ran for Lok Sabha in 2019 on a BSP ticket from Amroha in Uttar Pradesh, not far from his hometown of Hapur. Despite his maiden political contest and the BJP’s overwhelming victory in the state owing to a Muslim-dominated constituency with a sizable Dalit population. He received around 51% of the vote, defeating sitting BJP MP Kunwar Singh Tanwar by a margin of over 63,000 votes.
Danish Ali gained support from Congress MP Rahul Gandhi during the issue over BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri’s use of disparaging comments towards Ali in parliament. The now-suspended BSP leader had even expressed gratitude to Gandhi for his assistance.