Mayawati on Thursday suspended two senior Bahujan Samaj Party MLAs, who had once been among her most trusted lieutenants, on the charge of “anti-party activities” during the recent panchayat elections.

Lalji Verma, MLA from Katehri, and Ram Achal Rajbhar, the legislator of Akbarpur, both in Uttar Pradesh’s Ambedkarnagar district, had allegedly been hobnobbing with BJP and Samajwadi Party leaders over the past few weeks, BSP sources said.

A statement issued from the state headquarters of the BSP said: “Two MLAs who had been elected on BSP tickets have been suspended from the party with immediate effect following their anti-party activities during the panchayat elections.”

“The office-bearers of the party have been directed not to call these leaders to its programmes. They will not be fielded in any election in future from the BSP,” the statement added.

The BSP’s strength in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly has now come down to 16 from 18.

Verma had also been the leader of the BSP legislative party. Rajbhar had been the BSP’s Madhya Pradesh unit in-charge.

The BSP said Shah Alam alias Guddu Jamali, the MLA from Mubarakpur in Azamgarh, would replace Verma as legislative party leader.

Verma and Rajbhar had been cabinet ministers in Mayawati’s government between 2007 and 2012 and were considered her most trusted followers.

“Out of power since 2012, these leaders were concerned about their future. Being a BSP MLA no longer appeared attractive for them. We had been receiving reports that they were meeting BJP as well as SP leaders over the past few weeks,” said a BSP leader who didn’t want to be named.