Lucknow:
With a majority government in Uttar Pradesh, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav is all set to capitalise the gains of the last assembly elections in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. So, he has now created a new state executive committee with the sole purpose of getting the party ready for the Lok Sabha elections.
The new members of the committee were handed out their appointment letters in a sealed envelope and there was an uncharacteristic secrecy about the exercise. The party, so far, has not revealed the full strength of the newly-created state executive.
Mr Yadav said that the time had come for the state executive to start their work on the candidates as the party-appointed observers had submitted their reports about potential candidates and their chances of winning.
As a further warning to sitting MLA's and Ministers, Mr Yadav said that the members of the state executive committee will have the full authority to lodge a complaint against their conduct to the senior leadership of the party, based on which action will be taken against the MLA or the minister.
Setting a deadline for the newly-formed committee, Mr Yadav said that individual goals and targets will be set for members and work for 2014 elections should begin by August 15.
In a press release later issued by the party, Mr Yadav said that party workers and ministers should not be arrogant and any allegations of nepotism and corruption should not be levelled against them.
Today's meeting comes a day after Mr Yadav openly expressed his dissatisfaction with the performance of his son Akhilesh's government in Uttar Pradesh. Mr Yadav had given indications of a cabinet reshuffle if the ministers did not meet the expectations of the common man.
After the warning, Akhilesh Yadav has now decided to meet party workers on every Wednesday at the Chief Minister's official residence at Kalidas Marg in Lucknow between 10 am and 12 pm for better functioning of his government in Uttar Pradesh.
Akhilesh Yadav had swept the Uttar Pradesh state elections earlier this year to oust Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party government.