Reduced to a handful 47 in the Assembly poll, the Samajwadi Party claimed huge success’ in month-old membership drives across Uttar Pradesh. The party brass is claiming that the outfit is on a rebuilding path under its chief Akhilesh Yadav. The drive was launched on April 15 and was scheduled to end on June 15 but enthused. by its success, the drive is likely to be extended by a month.

Information is pouring in from all districts and an estimated one crore new members have been enrolled so far. A final figure will be tabulated after the membership drive concludes,’’said SP spokesman Rajendra Chaudhary. “Akhilesh Yadav has accorded top priority to the campaign and from July, he will criss cross the state to beef up the outfit. The party is also preparing for organisational poll in September where office bearers including national president will be elected,’’said Chaudhary. As part of the drive, party workers were encouraging people to join the SP by giving a missed call on a registered number or by visiting one of the booths set up across the state. A SP leader supervising the drive at the lucknow office said keeping the heat wave mind, the party is considering to extend the drive by a month.  “Among the new entrants, the proportion of youth voters is highest. Besides enrolling new members, the drive is aimed at in identifying the rotten fish  and discard them from the outfit,” he said. Party sources said that the intra-family power struggle hampered the drive in some districts as cadres did not show required enthusiasm. The drive is aimed at strengtheng the party is also driven by the rift in the party. His estranged uncle   and bitter rival Shivpal Yadav has already announced to float new outfit `Samajwadi Secular Morcha’.  After the poll debacle, Akhilesh has stepped up presence by meeting leaders and workers from across the state and holding parleys with traders and business community.