Soon after Congress key appointments, BSP, SP hold cadre meets

BSP chief Mayawati held a closed-door meeting with her party’s zonal coordinators and office bearers from Eastern UP. SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, too, held a meeting with party leaders.

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati held a closed-door meeting with her party’s zonal coordinators and office bearers from Eastern Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday.

Samajwadi party chief Akhilesh Yadav greets Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati on her 63rd birthday at her residence, in Lucknow on January 15. (HT File photo)

The meeting coincided with Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s appointment as Congress general secretary in charge of Eastern Uttar Pradesh. A BSP leader said Mayawati summoned office bearers from the region’s Gorakhpur, Basti, Prayagraj, and Mirzapur to Lucknow, where she is camping to finalise her party’s candidates for the national polls. The BSP and Samajwadi Party (SP) have left the Congress out of their alliance for Uttar Pradesh polls. The two parties will contest 38 Lok Sabha seats each in the state.

The coordinators were directed to strengthen the booth level committees and complete the membership drive by February end, the BSP leader added on condition of anonymity.

SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, too, held a meeting with party leaders. An SP leader said the changing political scenario after Priyanka Gandhi’s appointment was discussed at the meeting.

BSP national general secretary Ramachal Rajbhar said the election machine of the SP-BSP alliance was well entrenched across UP to take on rival parties. “Entry of Priyanka Gandhi and [Congress’s Western UP in charge] Jyotiraditya Scindia will not make much any impact on the alliance,’’ he said.