Formally severing ties with its former general secretary after days of sniping, the Samajwadi Party on Tuesday expelled Amar Singh and Jaya Prada for ?anti-party activities? and suspended four MLAs?all Amar Singh loyalists?for ?conspiring to engineer a split? in the party.

The decision of the SP parliamentary board was announced by party spokesman Mohan Singh in Lucknow. Party chief Mulayam Singh presided over the board meeting. The Uttar Pradesh SP unit was told to probe the conduct of MLAs Madan Chauhan, Sarvesh Singh, Ashok Chandel, Sandeep Agarwal and take necessary action.

In New Delhi, Amar Singh said: ?I express my gratitude to Mulayam Singh Yadav (for the expulsion). I will not say anything against him… I am blessed by him… this is a blessing in disguise… he has liberated me, I am relieved now.?

But he made it clear he was not going to resign from the Rajya Sabha. ?I have earned the seat. I did not get this as alms. I will not quit the seat… I have formed the Lok Manch and will work for the poor and unemployed by spreading awareness about computers and the English language.?

Denying reports that he was tapping parties like the Congress, BSP and NCP, Amar Singh said he would continue his mass-contact programme with most backward classes and Kshatriyas and also touch base with parties championing minority issues.

?I will be meeting the chief of Peace Party in the next few days. Minorities in the state know that siding with SP will not get them a Muslim chief minister. With me, they are certain that I don?t harbour such ambitions and will help their cause,? he said.

In Lucknow, Mohan Singh said: ?Amar Singh has dented the unity and image of the party. Before the disease spreads further, the party decided to go for painful surgery.? He called Jaya Prada, SP MP from Rampur, a ?guided missile? of Amar Singh and said she had made ?intemperate remarks? against the SP leadership and policies.

?She also praised Kalyan Singh which cast a shadow on the secular credentials of the party. No party will allow such activity by any leader, howsoever important. Therefore, the parliamentary board decided to expel Jaya Prada,? he said.

Asked about the future of Sanjay Dutt, another general secretary who quit his post to express solidarity with Amar Singh, Mohan Singh said ?the party does not take any cognisance of him?. On Maharashtra SP leader Abu Azmi, he said: ?Azmi has made a categorical statement that he will remain with the party.?

On Jaya Bachchan, he said so far she had not done anything which amounted to anti-party activity. Asked about Amar Singh?s challenge to Akhilesh Yadav to vacate the Kannauj Lok Sabha seat and contest elections against him, Mohan Singh said Amar Singh had never faced voters.