Faced with public outrage, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday expelled its jailed Uttar Pradesh lawmaker Kuldeep Sengar, accused of raping a minor girl from Unnao two years ago and killing two members of her family, from the party.
Uttar Pradesh BJP chief Swatantra Dev Singh said in Lucknow that the party's central leadership has expelled him.
His statement earlier in the day that Sengar was suspended and not sacked from the party had created confusion over the MLA's fate.
Sources said BJP working president J P Nadda called up Singh to inform him of the party's decision and asked him to make an announcement.
A four-term MLA, Sengar, who represents Bangarmau in the Uttar Pradesh assembly, is an influential Thakur leader in the region and enjoys backing of a strong section of BJP leaders.
The action against the four-time MLA comes after the young woman and her lawyer were critically injured and two of her aunts killed on Sunday when their car was hit by a speeding truck in Uttar Pradesh's Rae Bareli district.
The family alleged the accident was an attempt to eliminate her and the family.
There has been raging public anger since the incident with major political parties coming down hard on the Yogi Adityanath-led government in Uttar Pradesh and asking for accountability.
On Tuesday, the Centre handed the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation on the recommendation of the Uttar Pradesh government.
The CBI has booked 10 people for murder, including Sengar, who is already in jail on charges of raping the young Unnao woman.
The condition of the Unnao rape survivor and her lawyer, who were admitted to the King George Medical University in Lucknow, is stable but both are on ventilator support, doctors said.
Three security personnel tasked with protecting the rape survivor were suspended on Thursday on charges of dereliction of duty, police in Unnao said.
