'SP misusing state machinery to manipulate elections'

Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu on Monday accused the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party of misusing the administration and its officers for manipulating the Uttar Pradesh polls.

"Samajwadi Party has lost the trust of the people by taking away the cycle from the man (Mulayam Singh Yadav), who brought the party where it is today, and then handing over that cycle's handle to the Congress," Naidu said.

Naidu said this after meeting Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi here, along with Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and other delegates.

The minister said that some District Magistrates in the state were serving at the same place for over four years in different positions.

"We apprised the EC that during elections, such officers should be temporarily removed," he said.

The state with 403 seats is headed to the polls in seven phases: February 11, 15, 19, 23, 27 and March 4 and 8.

--IANS

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