Lucknow: Preparing it for the 2012 assembly
elections, the ruling BSP has initiated a "clean up" mission
against criminal elements in the party, but the campaign has
been termed as a "belated" one by the opposition.
To purge the party of people with criminal record, the
BSP leadership has asked party zonal leaders to prepare a list
of such partymen. They have been asked to leave the decision
on MLAs and MPs to the party high command.
During a meeting last week, senior party leaders and
ministers, Naseemuddin Siddiqui and Babu Singh Kushwaha
directed the coordinators at zones and district unit
presidents to prepare a list of such partymen and initiate
action against them at their level, party sources said.
The coordinators were asked to come with their lists as
also the action taken report in their meeting with the high
command slated for April 30 here, sources said.
On last Friday, the party had expelled mafia-turned MLA,
Mukhtar Ansari and his brother Afzal Ansari, a former MP from
the party.
However, the mission received flak from opposition, which
said it was "too late" for BSP to launch the campaign after
running the government for the past three years with the
"help" of such elements.
"How can one take seriously the party whose president,
Mayawati described a known criminal like Mukhtar Ansari as
innocent," Samajwadi Party spokesman Rajendra Chaudhary told
"The Chief Minister will have to remove half of her
cabinet ministers and MLAs (if she wants to sincerely carry
out the process) which she cannot afford," he said alleging
that its MLAs and ministers have been accused of serious
crimes like murder rape and loot.
-PTI