Samajwadi Party (SP) expelled its MLA Pooja Pal on Thursday, August 14, 2025, hours after she praised Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in the state Assembly. The expulsion was due to "anti-party activities and indiscipline". SP chief Akhilesh Yadav accused Pooja Pal of engaging in activities harmful to the party, and that her actions amounted to a serious breach of discipline.

Pooja Pal, the MLA from Chail in Kaushambi district, had praised Yogi Adityanath for his "zero-tolerance" policy against crime, stating that it delivered justice to women like her. She specifically thanked the Chief Minister for acting against criminals like Atiq Ahmed, who she accused of killing her husband, former BSP MLA Raju Pal. Raju Pal was murdered in 2005 in Prayagraj.

"I want to thank the Chief Minister for giving me justice when no one else listened," Pooja Pal said in the assembly. She also said that Yogi Adityanath's policies in Prayagraj ensured justice for women and that he acted against criminals like Atiq Ahmed. "Everyone knows who killed my husband… no one but Adityanath listened to me," she stated. She further remarked, "‘Mere pati ke hatyare Ateeq Ahmed ko mukhya mantri ne mitti mein milaane ka kaam kiya’ (Ateeq Ahmed, who was the killer of my husband, was brought to the ground by the chief minister)".

The expulsion letter stated that despite prior warnings, Pooja Pal did not cease her activities, causing "considerable harm to the party". She was also removed from all party positions and will no longer be invited to any SP programs or meetings.

Following her expulsion, Pooja Pal stood by her remarks. She said that Yogi Adityanath delivered justice to all those women who lost their loved ones because of Atiq Ahmed. "Perhaps you could not hear the women in Prayagraj who were even more worried than me. But I am their voice," she added. She emphasized that she would continue to speak for women.

The BJP reacted sharply to Pooja Pal's expulsion. A BJP spokesperson alleged that both the Congress and SP prioritize families over deprived sections of society. Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak criticized the Samajwadi Party for its "anti-women approach". He said that Pooja Pal's expulsion for "supporting the vision of developed India" reflects the "ghatia soch (cheap mindset)" of the Samajwadi Party.

Pooja Pal's political career began after her husband's death. She contested a by-poll after his death but lost. She won the 2007 and 2012 Assembly elections from Allahabad West. However, she lost the 2017 contest to BJP's Siddharth Nath Singh. She then joined the Samajwadi Party and won the Chail seat in 2022.

Atiq Ahmed was a gangster-turned-politician with over 100 criminal cases against him. He and his brother Ashraf were shot dead in police custody in Prayagraj on April 15, 2023.