New Delhi, Feb. 8: Rebel leader Raj Babbar is yet to get from the Samajwadi Party what he has been angling for.

The suspension from the parliamentary party yesterday and from primary membership today are far short of expulsion, which would allow him to retain his Lok Sabha membership and enable him to leave the Samajwadi Party.

The actor-turned-politician, however, is not far from the “unattached status” in the Lok Sabha ? which comes after expulsion from a party.

That the expulsion is not far off became clear from the Samajwadi statement. While announcing his suspension from the party’s primary membership, it said a three-member disciplinary committee, headed by senior leader Kalyan Jain, has been appointed to report within a week about the “anti-party” activities of the rebel MP.

Sources said the leadership, so far not in favour of expelling him, was in two minds now as his attacks from within against general secretary Amar Singh, whom he called a “fixer”, would be more damaging than his barbs from outside.

Babbar’s revolt was the first open attack from within the party against Amar, whose rise to prominence sidelining many a veteran had, according to the sources, fuelled discontent. They added that party MP and ideologue Janeshwar Mishra had remarked not so long ago that “Amar Singh’s culture is not that of the Samajwadi Party”.

The leaders who favour early expulsion feel that, given the simmering discontent against Amar, Babbar’s barbs from within the party could prove “highly infectious”.

Babbar today met Janata Dal (United) leader Sharad Yadav and CPI general secretary A.B. Bardhan and sought their support in his “mission” to ensure a secular polity with people with a “clean” image.

On his future course of action, Babbar preferred not to say much except that he would talk to several Samajwadi Party leaders who are also unhappy with Amar’s “corrupting influence”.

“Right now I will be meeting my socialist mentors and leaders to tell them what is happening in the Samajwadi Party,” he said.