Greek Socialist party expels lawmaker for forming own group ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece's co-ruling Socialist PASOK party expelled one of its most popular deputies on Monday, deepening the rifts within the second biggest partner in the debt-ridden country's coalition. PASOK dismissed Andreas Loverdos, who has been long estranged with the party's leadership, after the 56-year old former health minister announced the launch of a new political group that could rival the Socialists. "Mr. Loverdos has made his choice... he is no longer a member of PASOK's parliamentary committee," PASOK leader and former finance minister Evangelos Venizelos said in a statement. Loverdos' dismissal brought the parliamentary majority of the ruling coalition to 166 seats in the 300-seat assembly. The move deepens the internal crisis of PASOK but is not expected to affect the three-way coalition led by conservative Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, analysts said. Loverdos said he would continue to back the government. I support this government. It is my national and political duty," Loverdos said. The Socialists have seen their popularity plummeting after they signed a deeply unpopular European Union/International Monetary Fund bailout in 2010. Their poll ratings have slipped to about 6 percent from 43 percent in 2009, when they last won elections. Loverdos, who supported the country's bailout in a key parliamentary vote earlier this month, is the eighth deputy to leave PASOK since the party was trounced in a June election that brought Samaras to power. As a health and labor minister in 2009-2011, he increased the retirement age and slashed pensions in a crucial reform of the country's ailing pension system. No other PASOK deputies have said so far they would join him or the new group called RIKKSY -- the Greek word for "Rupture." The group said in a statement it would seek to form a "reformist, European and social democratic party." (Reporting by Renee Maltezou. Editing by Jeremy Gaunt.)