Lucknow, Aug. 27 -- : The expulsion of Chail MLA Pooja Pal from the Samajwadi Party followed by a volley of allegations and counter-allegations is indicative of the larger fight for the Other Backward Classes (OBC) vote in the Ganga-Yamuna doab, the fertile tract of land between the two rivers, in the Prayagraj region. Pooja Pal's constituency is part of the belt.

Pal was shown the door by the SP after she praised chief minister Yogi Adityanath's governance and development initiatives during a special 24-hour debate in the recently concluded Monsoon session of the state assembly.

Following her expulsion, there was speculation that the BJP was eyeing an opportunity to woo marginalised voters ahead of 2027 Uttar Pradesh polls.

The OBCs,i...