lucknow

Updated: Aug 08, 2019 01:41 IST

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Wednesday restructured the party organisation by appointing former Rajya Sabha member Munkad Ali as the president of the BSP’s Uttar Pradesh unit. She also removed party leader in the Lok Sabha, Danish Ali, replacing him with Shyam Singh Yadav, MP from Jaunpur seat.

Danish Ali, who had been with the Janata Dal (Secular) for long, joined the BSP just before the Lok Sabha polls.

Outgoing state president RS Kushwaha has been made national general secretary.

A trusted aide of Mayawati, Munkad Ali enjoys considerable influence among the Muslim community in the western Uttar Pradesh, according to party leaders. He was made zonal coordinator of the party and entrusted with the task to of expanding the party base in the districts located in West UP.

In a press statement released on Wednesday, Mayawati said that Munkad Ali started his political career with BSP; he stood with party during thick and thin; he worked energetically, disposed of all the responsibilities with devotion.

A BSP functionary said on the condition of anonymity, Ali remained with the party when many senior leaders, including Naseemuddin Siddiqui, Swami Prasad Maurya, Indrajit Saroj revolted after BSP lost power in 2012 assembly election.

The party chief had given a return gift for his loyalty with appointing Ali to the top post in the state organization, the BSP leader said.

The countdown for removal of Kushwaha and elevation of Ali started immediately after the April-May Lok Sabha elections, in which the BSP secured 10 seats while its former ally Samajwadi Party bagged only five seats, according to party leaders. The Bharatiya Janata Party swept the state by winning 62 out of 80 seats.

In June, Mayawati had announced BSP and the Samajwadi Party (SP) would no longer contest elections together and her party would fight all future elections by itself.

BSP MP from Ambedkar Nagar seat, Ritesh Pandey has been appointed deputy leader of the party in the Lok Sabha. Girish Chandra Jatav will continue as the chief whip of BSP in the Lok Sabha.

The changes in the organization have been made in the interest of the party and the movement, another BSP leader said on the condition of anonymity.