The Bahujan Samaj Party on Tuesday suspended its senior leader and former Uttar Pradesh minister Ramvir Upadhyay for “anti-party activities”, PTI reported. He has also been removed as the party’s chief whip in the state Assembly, said party General Secretary Mewalal Gautam.

Upadhyay had blatantly opposed the party’s Lok Sabha election candidates in Agra, Fatehpur Sikri, Aligarh, and other seats, Gautam added. Upadhyay, once considered a close aide of party chief Mayawati, allegedly backed the Bharatiya Janata Party’s candidates instead.

Upadhyay is a member of the Legislative Assembly from Sadabad in Hathras district. He was allegedly found fraternising with senior BJP leaders after his wife Seema Upadhyay refused to contest from Fatehpur Sikri constituency on a Bahujan Samaj Party ticket.