Amar Singh quits Samajwadi Party posts

Amar Singh on Wednesday resigned as general secretary and other posts in the Samajwadi Party, citing "health reasons" amid speculation over deepening differences with party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav.

Singh, who is in Dubai, told PTI over phone that he has resigned as national general secretary, spokesman and member of the Samajwadi Party parliamentary board. He faxed his resignation from all the three posts to Yadav, he said.

"I have resigned from all the three posts with immediate effect and I have faxed my resignation to Mulayam Singh Yadav," said the 54-year-old high-profile spokesman of the party.

Shortly after the party's humiliating defeat in the Lok Sabha by election in Firozabad in November, Singh had criticised Yadav, saying the defeat was because of the over confidence of the SP chief and his family.

Yadav's daughter-in-law Dimple was the SP candidate who lost to Congress nominee Raj Babbar, who was earlier with SP.

Even during the Lok Sabha elections, Singh's ties with the party leadership had come under strain over Jaya Pradha's candidature in Rampur which was opposed by Azam Khan, who later exited the party.