The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Uttarakhand has expelled former MLA Suresh Rathore from the party for six years following a controversy surrounding his alleged second marriage. The expulsion comes after a video went viral showing Rathore introducing Saharanpur-based actress Urmila Sanawar as his second wife. Rathore is already legally married to his first wife.

The BJP issued a notice to Rathore, who previously represented the Jwalapur constituency in Haridwar, seeking an explanation after the video circulated on social media. The party leadership stated that Rathore's clarification was unsatisfactory and that he had continuously violated party discipline and social norms. The expulsion letter, signed by state BJP general secretary Rajendra Bisht, stated that the decision was made on the directions of Pradesh BJP president.

Rathore's alleged second marriage has caused embarrassment for the BJP, particularly because the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) implemented by the state government in January criminalizes polygamy. The opposition Congress party has criticized the BJP, accusing them of ignoring violations of the UCC by their own members. They demanded immediate legal action against Rathore and Sanawar under the UCC.

In an attempt to defuse the situation, Rathore claimed that the images circulating online were actually scenes from a film he is producing, titled "Bhabhi Ji Vidhayak Hain," and that Sanawar is an actress in the film. However, the BJP's disciplinary committee found his explanation unconvincing. BJP State General Secretary Rajendra Bisht stated that Rathore failed to provide a satisfactory response to the notice issued to him and had breached social norms and party decorum. BJP State Media Incharge Manveer Singh Chauhan added that the party was not satisfied with Rathore's response and that he was consistently found guilty of violating the party's dignity and social conduct.

Rathore, however, claims that the state unit did not listen to his side of the story and took biased action. He said he will appeal to the central leadership against his expulsion.

Adding to the controversy, Rathore had declared that "Urmila's love has won" and described her as part of his family at a press conference in Saharanpur earlier this month. Sanawar also updated her social media profile to "Urmila Suresh Rathore" after the press conference.

Suresh Rathore has a history of controversies. He has fought three assembly polls in the past and won from Jwalapur (reserved) seat in 2017. He proclaimed himself as "Guru Ravidas Acharaya" and sought to become mahamandleshwar of Niranjani akhara during the Kumbh Mela 2021. In 2021, a woman party worker accused him of rape, but he filed a case against her for blackmailing, and she was arrested.