Samajwadi Party dissolves its UP unit, Akhilesh to remain state chief

Zee Media Bureau

Lucknow: Stung by rout at the recently concluded General Elections, Samajwadi Party on Thursday dissolved its Uttar Pradesh unit, two days after 36 SP leaders having Minister of State (MoS) status in the state government were sacked. However, Akhilesh Yadav, Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, will continue to be the party`s state president. Party spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhury said that the decision to disband the state unit was taken after nod from the SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav. Amid demands for his resignation, Akhilesh indicated that he was in no mood to quit and said reasons behind SP`s poor show were being reviewed. Prominent among those who have been removed are Narendra Bhati and Surendra Mohan Agarwal, who lost in Gautam Buddh Nagar and Kanpur seats respectively, RLD turncoat Anuradha Chowdhury, 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. Those from the minority community included Anis Mansori, Mohammad Abbas, Iqbal Ali, Haji Iqram and Kamruddin, the sources added. (With PTI inputs)