Congress to monitor Akhilesh government

New Delhi, April 6 (IANS) Smarting from its electoral rout, the Congress Friday said it will monitor Akhilesh Yadav's Samajwadi Party government in Uttar Pradesh.

State Congress chief Rita Bahuguna Joshi, in the capital to meet party general secretary Rahul Gandhi to examine the reasons for the party's debacle, said the party will monitor how the Akhilesh Yadav government implements central schemes.

"We will continue to struggle for the people and keep an eye on activities of the state government vis-a-vis central programmes," Joshi said.

Gandhi, who is analysing the UP outcome by meeting MPs, legislators and candidates who polled more than 20,000 votes, has asked party members to start preparing for the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

He has also indicated that the state unit would be revitalized.

Gandhi Thursday met over Congress 150 candidates who lost in UP. He met party legislators and MPs from the state Friday.

The two-day interaction is the first formal stocktaking of the poll outcome by Gandhi, who had spearheaded the party's campaign in the state. The Congress won 28 of 403 assembly seats, up from 22 in 2007.