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‘Cycle punctured ’, Akhilesh offloads 36 enjoying ministerial status
Shahira Naim
Tribune News Service

Reviewing Lok Sabha poll drubbing Speaking to reporters after a cabinet meeting, UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav said the poll defeat was the result of party’s failure to properly communicate achievements of the state government to the people. BSP clean-up: Maya dissolves all committees Lucknow: Taking course correction in the face of BSP’s electoral rout, party supremo Mayawati on Tuesday dissolved all district and division-level party units as well as the ‘bhaichara committees’. On the first day of the three-day stock taking meeting of party leaders, Mayawati did not mince words to lash out at them for not putting in their very best during the elections. Mayawati plans to completely restructure the party before the Assembly elections in 2017.

Lucknow, May 20
These days Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav is busy repairing his cycle (Samajwadi Party’s poll symbol) following its abject defeat in the Lok Sabha elections.

In the first step towards fixing responsibility for the debacle, Akhilesh today sacked 36 state leaders with ministerial rank, depriving them of their perks, including red-beacon cars. Sources said six leaders from the minority community were among those who were axed. As the political fallout of the resounding BJP win in the state spread, sources said some cabinet and state ministers might also be sacked.

During the first day of the review of the Samajwadi Party’s disastrous performance, the losing candidates had, among other things, blamed these ministers of not cooperating during the elections. They also accused them of earning wrath of the public with their arrogance and unruly behaviour. The party could win just five of the 80 Lok Sabha seats from the state. Yesterday, party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav presided over a meeting of the losing candidates, while today he met ministers of the Akhilesh government.

Among those who were sacked included Noida leader Naresh Bhatti who was said to be responsible for the suspension of IAS Durga Shakti Nagpal who had come down on his illegal mining activities. Anuradha Chaudhury, who had quit the Rashtriya Lok Dal to join the SP and was given a minister’s rank, was also sacked. Just defeated Kanpur SP candidate Surendra Mohan Agarwal was also divested of his ministerial rank. Prominent among others who have been removed are Narendra Bhati who lost the Gautam Buddh Nagar seat, traders' body leader Sandeep Bansal, ex-Agra Mayor Anjula Mahaur, Surabhi Shukla, Ranjana Bajpai, KC Pandey, Kamlesh Pathak, Ashu Malik, Satish Dixit and Manoj Rai.

(with PTI inputs)