After poll debacle, Akhilesh cracks whip on bureaucracy

Lucknow, May 21 (IANS) After the debacle in the Lok Sabha elections, Uttar Pradesh's ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) Wednesday continued its clean up drive and issued notices to eight district magistrates and 10 district police chiefs.

The action follows surprise inspections by officials from the Chief Minister's Office, during which the district administrative and police officers were found missing from their offices.

The development comes a day after 36 minister-level leaders of the party were given marching orders by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav. They were dismissed for failing to do enough for the party contestants during the Lok Sabha elections.

The Samajwadi Party managed to win just five of the 78 seats it contested in the state.

An internal assessment of the party inferred the state bureaucracy was responsible for the defeat of the party at the hustings.

In the run-up to the polls, party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav had warned officials and party leaders of a crackdown if the party fared poorly in the polls.

Middle-rung party leaders had for long complained of lack of coordination between the party and officials.

The officials who were issued notices include district magistrates of Gorakhpur, Etawah, Jaunpur, Bareilly, Gonda, Ballia, Mirzapur and Firozabad.

Similarly, district police chiefs of Maharajganj, Amethi, Shahjahanpur, Mahoba, Shamli, Lalitpur, Shrawasti, Unnao, Mau and Amroha were found absent.

More heads are likely to roll in the coming days as the party leadership has given a go-ahead for a major overhaul of the bureaucracy in the state.