Akhilesh Yadav new chief of Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh

Lucknow/New Delhi, June 6 (ANI): Akhilesh Yadav took over as the chief of the Samajwadi Party (SP) in Uttar Pradesh.

Akhilesh, son of SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, reached the party office in a huge procession.

36-year-old Akhilesh was appointed on Wednesday in an attempt to revamp the state unit after it got a drubbing in the recent general elections.

Akhilesh said he would try to address farmers, youth and minorities in a bid to make the party strong.

"We hope that we will take up the issues of farmers, who are most affected, problems of youths, the minorities. We will also make inroads into the other sections of society and make the Samajwadi Party strong," Akhilesh said.

Kannauj MP Akhilesh replaces Mulayam's brother Shivpal Singh Yadav.

Thirty six-year-old Akhilesh entered Parliament in 2000. He is the only member of the 15th Lok Sabha, who has been elected from two constituencies (Kannauj and Firozabad).

Meanwhile, the SP clarified that it has extended only issue-based support to the newly formed Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government.

"The situation is we are not part of the government. The responsibility of running it, and whether it is good or bad, is definitely not ours," SP general secretary Amar Singh said in New Delhi. (ANI)