SP is in more organized form now

After the latest cabinet reshuffle, the ruling SP is confident of going to the hustings slated for February 2017, as a more organized and cogent political outfit. However, several party leaders, especially those who were divested or sacked recently, are not much enthused by the recent reshuffle.

Two days ahead of t he rejig, eight ministers were sacked and nine others were divested of their portfolios and many new faces were inducted in the council of ministers on Saturday. 

The common refrain is that the manner in which the party handled its senior leaders and dropped them without informing them was just not appropriate.

The dissenting leaders also wondered as to how the party has succeeded in forging a new social coalition by the reshuffle. ``Far from roping in any new social group, this exercise has alienated a section of Thakur and Brahmins within as two Thakurs  and one Brahmin were dropped and no new face from the communities was inducted,’’said a SP leader.

“It is a self defeating move. The appropriate course would have been was to ask for resignations from the entire council of ministers and leave the CM to decide on the new composition of his cabinet.  Some ministers learnt about their dismissal from the media which is unprecedented in UP and also the Samajwadi party,’’ said a sacked minister.

He ruefully added, “With the unceremonious dismissal, the sacked ministers have lost credibility their respective constituencies. Even even if the party fields them in 2017 polls, they have a dim chance of winning. Most will turn against and create trouble for the party in the elections.’’

Quoting the instance of a minister from Gonda, the minister said “Pandit Singh has been elevated as a cabinet minister while Yogesh Pratap Singh also from Gonda has been dropped on charges of his proximity with Raja of Mankapur, Anand  Singh. Pandit Singh is in no position to take on the combined might of Anand Singh and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Singh in Gonda and the  party stands to lose badly in 2017 polls.’’ 

Anand Singh was elected to the UP Assembly in 2012 on a SP ticket and was made Agriculture minister. However, in May 2014, his son Kirtivardhan Singh was elected to lok Sabha from Gonda on a BJP ticket. Anand Singh was dropped from the cabinet in March 2014 ahead of the parliamentary polls.

Similarly, powerful Independent MlA from Kunda (Pratapgarh) Raja Bhaiyya is unhappy with the manner he was divested of his charge of Food and Civil Supplies. The other Thakur leader who was sacked — Raja Aridaman Singh from Agra, too is unhappy with the way he was shown the door. Singh was allegedly hobnobbing with the BJP and he had been a cabinet minister in Rajnath Singh government in 2000-02.

Summing up the whole exercise as ‘too little too late’, a former minister said, “It was the last opportunity for the CM before the 2017 Assembly polls to demonstrate that  he is in command of the party and the government and there were no longer  any parallel power centers —this he has failed to impress upon.’’