Speaking at a meeting of the state executive, Akhilesh said: “There will be significant change both in government and organisation within a week. It will be visible.”
Mulayam Singh, party’s national general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav, PWD Minister Shivpal Yadav and several other senior leaders attended the meeting, which was held at the party headquarters.
The issue cropped up after several members stated that officials in districts did not listen to SP workers’ request. “They are still working with Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) mindset. Our workers do not get importance at police stations or tehsils. It should be stopped,” a member said.
On this, Mulayam said that officials should be aware of the government’s priorities and party workers should get proper response. He targetted ministers and MLAs, stating that they were not attending to the organisation’s demands and asked the chief minister to look into the issue. He also said that ministers in charge of districts should be aware of grounds realities.
The SP supreme also raised fingers at the functioning of the CM’s secretariate. “This office at the fifth floor controls the whole state. A lot is still desired in improving its functioning. Its orders should have gravity,” Mulayam remarked.
He also pointed out that the police department should be more alert. “It should be headed by such a DG who understands the whole state,” he said. Mulayam also advised his younger brother Shivpal, who is also PWD minister, to take action on repairing of roads.
The Yadav chieftain also asked Akhilesh to improve the power situationin the state. “I understand that yesterday you have done some reshuffling. But you need to take concrete steps for improving the power situation before people take to roads,” Mulayam said, while referring to the transfers in power department done by the state government on Wednesday.
Mulayam added that the remaining candidates for Lok Sabha polls will be declared within a week.
Meanwhile, Shivpal and other Cabinet ministers, including Ahmad Hasan and Om Prakash Singh, narrated all the “good works” done by their departments. All said that the workers are the backbone of the party and should get due importance.
Mulayam, however, pointed out: “There is lack of co-ordination between the government and the organisation. Ministers should remember that workers are also important.”
He said senior ministers should desist from making unnecessary statements in media. “It would be better if the ministers gave information about the development works done by the department. Betuki baatein na karein,” Mulayam stated. He also said that development works should be expedited.
Mulayam also expressed his displeasure over the recent dissolution of the four youth frontal organisations of the party. “If there was some problem with any particular person, he should have faced the music. But the frontal organisations were dissolved. These should be reconstituted soon and there should not be any injustice with the youths,” he said.
Interestingly, when the frontal organisations were dissolved on January 3, the party had stated that the action was taken on Mulayam’s direction.
Ram Gopal assured that the frontal organisations will be reconstituted soon and only deserving youths will be given place in the organisation. He, however, said that some leaders were on his radar for non-performance.
The resentment against some candidates for the Lok Sabha election also srufaced at the meeting. Mulayam said that an observor will be sent from Lucknow to assess the sitution. “If there is any requirement for change, it will be referred to the national executive committee of the party,” he added.
Later, Ram Gopal urged the members to work towards winning maximum seats in the Lok Sabha election and explanding the party in other states, like Uttarakhand, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.
Prateek supporters’ demand gets louder
About 50 Samajwadi Party workers from Azamgarh staged a demonstration outside the party office, demanding that Mulayam Singh Yadav’s younger son Prateek Yadav should contest Lok Sabha elections from Azamgarh. The workers marched from the party office to Mulayam’s residence. Their slogan was: “Azamgarh ki majboori hai, Prateek Yadav zaroori hai”. They said that Azamgarh is very backward and it is necessary for someone from the Yadav family to contest, so that the region gets adequate attention. There was no reaction from the party, which has already named Panchayati Raj Minister Balram Yadav as its candidate from Azamgarh.