SP to launch membership drive to expand base

Lucknow, Feb 5 (IANS) Uttar Pradesh's ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) Thursday decided to launch a massive membership drive to expand its base as its top leaders met to develop its possible plan of action for the 2017 assembly polls, party sources said.

At the first meet of the newly-formed state executive, party leaders spoke extensively on the need to "brace up to stop the (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi juggernaut" and "ensure that the secular vote is not divided" in the state polls.

Sources said the party high command also gave a green signal to launch a massive special membership drive, on the lines of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and ensure that its grass root set up is "well oiled" to take on a resurgent BJP.

Party office-bearers, leaders and ministers were also assigned the task of fanning out in different parts of the state to publicize government welfare schemes and development projects.

SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, party general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav and PWD Minister Shivpal Singh Yadav spoke to the executive members, took their feedback and gave directives on the strategy for future, a source told IANS.

Cabinet minister Manoj Pandey said the Modi wave was on the ebb and added that the SP was going to expand its base not only in the state but in other parts of the country as well.

Akhilesh Yadav spelt out the need of training new entrants to the party and the next generation leaders and said that senior leaders should be appointed in all districts for media interactions and publicity of the government works so far.

Emerging out of the meeting, legislator from Lucknow Ravidas Mehrotra said Mulayam Singh has directed the party leaders and cadre to "expose theNDA government" and the "false promises" made by Modi in the run-up to the Lok Sabha polls last year.

The party will launch the membership drive from Feb 7 and would take feedback from the grass root and later share it with the government, so that a course correction, if necessary, may be initiated, a leader said.