Lucknow, Jul 22 (IANS): Senior Congress leader Naseemuddin Siddiqui has lost his membership of the state Legislative Council following his disqualification by the Chairman of the Council.

His removal will be effective from the day he joined the Congress party almost two and a half years ago.

The decision comes days after the Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court, comprising Justice P.K. Jaiswal and Justice D.K. Singh asked the chairman of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council to take a decision on the Bahujan Samaj Party's (BSP) petition seeking Congress leader's disqualification within 15 days.

A former minister in the Mayawati government, Siddiqui was expelled from the BSP on charges of anti-party activities on May 10, 2017.

After his expulsion, Siddiqui floated a new outfit, Rashtriya Bahujan Morcha.

Soon after, the BSP moved an application for his disqualification, but the petition was rejected and Siddiqui was allowed to stay on as an unattached member of the Legislative Council.

Later, when Siddiqui joined the Congress in 2018, the leader of the BSP in Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council Sunil Kumar Chittor moved another petition for his disqualification on February 22, 2018.

After over two years of hearing on Tuesday, Ramesh Yadav, Chairman, Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council, ruled against Siddiqui and disqualified him.

In the order, Yadav said, Siddiqui had been disqualified from the membership of the council with effect from February 22, 2018, the day he joined the Congress.

The disqualification has been done in accordance with the paragraph 2 of the tenth schedule of the Constitution, which allows disqualification of a member if he voluntarily gives up membership of the party on whose ticket he was elected to the council, said Yadav.

Siddiqui was elected to the Legislative Council on a BSP ticket on January 23, 2015.