SP appoints Sanjay Dutt as general secretary

New Delhi, Apr 2 (PTI) Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt,
denied permission to contest elections by the Supreme Court of
India, was Thursday appointed as the national general
secretary of the Samajwadi Party (SP).

"Our leader Mulayam Singh Yadav has appointed him
(Sanjay) as the national general secretary," SP leader Ram
Gopal Yadav told reporters here.

He said Sanjay will campaign for SP candidates in the Lok
Sabha elections.

Dutt, who was also present at the party's central office
here, said "I would work for the party with utmost
dedication... I am very happy."

The actor, who was the SP candidate for the prestigious
Lucknow Lok Sabha seat, was denied permission to contest polls
by the Supreme Court which refused to stay his conviction in
connection with the 1993 Mumbai blasts case.

The SP is yet to decide on a fresh candidate for the
Lucknow seat, which is at present represented by Bharatiya
Janata Party leader and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari
Vajpayee.

Recently, Mulayam Singh had appointed former BJP leader
Kalyan Singh's son Rajveer as the national general secretary
of the party.