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Pal was expelled for ‘anti-party activities and indiscipline’ after praising CM Yogi Adityanath for ensuring justice for her and her slain husband
Raju Pal’s wife and SP MLA Pooja Pal praised the Yogi Adityanath government and expressed her gratitude. (PTI/File)
The Samajwadi Party on Thursday expelled its MLA Pooja Pal for “anti-party activities and indiscipline”, just a day after she publicly praised Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for his zero-tolerance policy on crime. The move, announced in a statement signed by SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, accused Pal of repeatedly indulging in actions that “caused great damage to the party” despite prior warnings.
Pal’s expulsion comes in the wake of a dramatic moment in the ongoing Monsoon Session, when during its 18th hour of debate she stunned the Assembly by thanking the chief minister for “burying her husband’s killer into the ground”—a reference to mafia-politician Atiq Ahmed, accused of masterminding the 2005 murder of her husband, BSP legislator Raju Pal.
“Everyone knows how my husband was killed and who did it,” she told the House. “I want to thank the chief minister, who listened to me when no one else did. He gave justice to many women like me in Prayagraj and punished the criminals. Today, the entire state looks at the chief minister with confidence.” Switching briefly to Hindi, she added: “Mere pati ke hatyare Atiq Ahmed ko mukhya mantri ne mitti mein milaane ka kaam kiya.”
The rare praise came as part of the marathon discussion on the state’s “Vision Document 2047.” Pooja Pal credited the CM’s “zero-tolerance” policy against organised crime for delivering justice in the murder case of her husband who was gunned down in broad daylight in 2005, allegedly by the gang of mafia-politician Atiq Ahmed.
Who is Pooja Pal?
Pooja Pal’s journey to this moment began in the modest Katghar locality of Prayagraj. Born into a poor family, her father earned a living repairing punctured tyres. To help support the household, Pooja took on small jobs alongside her studies—working in offices, hospitals, and even cleaning homes.
It was while working at a hospital that she met Raju Pal, a rising figure in the Bahujan Samaj Party. Their friendship grew into love, and on January 16, 2005, the couple married.
A Marriage Cut Short by Violence
Just nine days later, tragedy struck. On January 25, 2005, gunmen linked to Atiq Ahmed ambushed Raju Pal’s convoy in broad daylight, killing him and two associates. The killing was widely seen as political retribution for Raju’s recent electoral victory over Ashraf Ahmed, Atiq’s brother, in the Allahabad West Assembly constituency.
At just 25, Pooja was widowed and her life turned into a battle for justice. She refused to bow to intimidation from the Ahmed gang and vowed to carry forward her husband’s political legacy.
Pooja’s Entry into Politics
When the by-election to Raju’s seat was announced, BSP chief and then CM Mayawati personally handed Pooja the party ticket. She lost the bypoll, but her political journey had begun. In the 2007 assembly elections, Pooja again contested from Allahabad West and won, repeating her victory in 2012.
However, she lost the 2017 contest to BJP’s Siddharth Nath Singh. Soon after, Pooja left the BSP and joined the Samajwadi Party, where Akhilesh Yadav offered her a ticket from Chail in Kaushambi district. She won the seat in 2022, marking her return to the Assembly.
Pooja’s 20-Year-Old Fight With Atiq Ahmed
Through her political career, Pooja’s fight against Atiq Ahmed remained central to her identity. Ahmed—a five-time MLA and former Lok Sabha MP—had over 100 criminal cases to his name, ranging from murder to extortion. For years, Pooja accused successive governments of shielding him.
That changed under Yogi Adityanath’s tenure, as the UP government launched a high-profile crackdown on organised crime. Properties linked to mafia figures were demolished, assets seized, and key gang members arrested or neutralised.
The End of the Ahmed Brothers
The most dramatic chapter came in April 2023. On April 13, Atiq’s son Asad, wanted in the murder of advocate Umesh Pal, was killed in a police encounter in Jhansi. Two days later, Atiq and Ashraf were shot dead in Prayagraj while under police escort for a medical check-up at Colvin Hospital.
At 10.36pm on April 15, as the brothers spoke to the media, three assailants posing as journalists opened fire at point-blank range. One attacker pulled off Atiq’s turban before shooting him in the head. About 20 bullets were fired, killing both on the spot. The shooters—Lavlesh Tiwari (22), Mohit alias Sunny (23), and Arun Maurya (18)—were overpowered and arrested immediately.
For Pooja, the killings marked a symbolic end to her two-decade fight.
Political Ripples
Her warm praise for Yogi Adityanath in the Assembly—a rare gesture across the bitter SP–BJP divide—immediately triggered speculation about her political future.
While Pooja has insisted her gratitude was personal and born out of justice served, party insiders viewed it as a breach of discipline. With her expulsion now official, political observers are watching closely for her next move, especially in eastern Uttar Pradesh, where her story still carries emotional weight among voters.
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