Akhilesh Yadav dissolves entire state unit of the Samajwadi party

New Delhi: In a major overhaul after the electoral debacle in the 2019 general elections, Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav has dissolved the entire state unit of the party in Uttar Pradesh.

This is the first time in Samajwadi Party that state level office bearers, district level members, incharge of assembly constituencies and youth wing leaders have all been removed by the party chief.

Senior leaders of the party said the step was taken to initiate a review of the performance of each office bearer in the party from the polling booth level to state leadership. SP leaders said those whose performance was found satisfactory could hope to be reinstated in the party.

"This kind of action is unprecedented in Samajwadi Party. It has never happened before. This is just the first step after the loss in the 2019 general elections. More such steps will be taken and this decision will help in rebuilding the party," said a senior party leader based in Lucknow.

Members of the party explained that the step has been taken because of the repeated electoral defeats of SP against BJP since 2014 Lok Sabha polls. In the last five years, SP has lost all crucial elections including two Lok Sabha elections and the state polls in 2017.

SP leaders pointed out that the decision taken on Friday by Akhilesh Yadav was part of a plan to prepare the party for the assembly elections in 2022. Senior leaders of the party believe that because of infighting, the party was facing electoral defeats and there was a need to remove the present state leadership and appoint fresh faces in the organisation.

"The entire organisation is with Akhilesh Yadav but there are people who still have alligience other members of the Yadav family which has led to defeat in the elections," said the SP leader.

Senior leaders of the SP said only the state president of the party was retained by Akhilesh Yadav.

“There is a sense in the party that the entire organisation should be built from the grassroots and new people must be inducted in the party so that the party is better prepared in future," the SP leader added.