Stung by their appalling show in the Lok Sabha election, the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party on Tuesday cracked the whip on erring party men, effecting major changes in their parties.
Signalling a massive overhaul, BSP president Mayawati dissolved the zonal and division level committees of the party. In what is considered as punishment posting in the wake of their failure, some senior leaders are likely to be shunted out to States where Assembly elections are due in the next couple of years. Party sources said that their names would be announced later.
The Samajwadi Party has reportedly axed 36 leaders with ministers of State status for the party’s drubbing. The move comes close after Mulayam Singh expressed “deep anguish” at the party’s rout and reportedly criticised his son and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav.
Sources said the decision to sack the functionaries was taken on Monday following the SP president’s meeting with the candidates.
After a review of the party’s performance, the 36 leaders were held accountable for the SP’s poor showing, sources said. Those who did not contest have been charged with sabotaging the prospects of the candidates. Samajwadi Party sources said more heads are likely to roll in the next few days.
Some of those axed on Tuesday had contested elections. Among the leaders against whom action has been taken are Narendra Bhati (Gautam Buddha Nagar), Anuradha Chaudhary, Surendra Mohan Agarwal (Kanpur), Sandeep Bansal, Ranjana Bajpai, Lilawati Kushwaha, Manoj Rai, Haji Ikram, Wasim Ahmed, Virendra Singh, Iqbal Ali and Jagdish Yadav.
Meanwhile, Ms. Mayawati removed five zonal coordinators appointed by her before the elections. Party sources said these coordinators, including Munqad Ali, Dr. Baliram and Jugal Kishore, drew the party chief’s ire for their failure to draw support for the BSP candidates.
