Mainpuri: Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday termed his party’s ‘historic win’ in the Mainpuri bypoll as a true tribute to SP founder and his father Mulayam Singh Yadav and asserted that the results have energised partymen for the 2024 parliamentary elections.
Interacting with media persons after the results were announced, the SP president said he was happy to declare that “respected uncle Shivpal Singh Yadav and his party (PSPL) have come together with the SP and now, all will work together under one flag.”
Shivpal Yadav, who had floated his own party after his relationship with nephew Akhilesh Yadav turned sour, campaigned vigorously in the bypoll in favour of Dimple Yadav.
Shivpal Yadav’s assembly seat Jaswantnagar is part of the Mainpuri Lok Sabha seat.
Akhilesh’s wife Dimple Yadav won the Mainpuri parliamentary seat, defeating her nearest rival BJP candidate Raghuraj Singh Shakya by a margin of over 2,88,461 votes. She thanked all party workers and dedicated the win to ‘Netaji’.
The bypoll on the seat was necessitated following Mulayam Singh Yadav’s death.
“The victory has opened a new path and given energy to the leaders and workers of the Samajwadi Party and the people for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
“People have assured the workers for 2024 through this result and given a reply to those who are increasing inflation and unemployment, whose government is continuously conspiring against the poor and exploiting victims on a large scale,” he said.
The SP chief said the future strategy of the party would focus on how to resolve problems related to inflation, corruption, unemployment and issues faced by the farmers.
Terming the victory of his party as the win of political rapprochement, Akhlesh Yadav said it is also a reply to those who have been indulging in politics of negativity.
People of Mainpuri have realised the dreams of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar and Dr Ram Manohar Lohia and also shown that success can be achieved by working on ideologies, he said.
Stressing that the administration harassed his party workers and leaders in the run-up to bypoll, Akhilesh said, “Police carried out a raid at the residence of the Jaswantnagar block chief. I will thank Jaswantnagar MLA Shivpal Singh Yadav who reached there. I am happy that Jaswantnagar has broken its own record in this bypoll by voting in favour of SP,” he said.
Yadav congratulated Madan Bhaiya of the RLD, an alliance partner of the SP, for winning the Khatauli Assembly segment bypoll.
He, however, claimed that people in the Rampur Sadar assembly segment were not allowed to vote.
Had there been a fair election in Rampur, it would have been the biggest win for the Samajwadi Party, Yadav claimed.
The BJP won the Rampur Sadar assembly seat for the first time as its candidate Akash Saxena defeated his nearest Samajwadi Party rival Asim Raja by a margin of 33,702 votes in a bypoll.
“The administration in Rampur first did not allow voting and then did an injustice. Even after this, people came out and voted. From the very first day, people decided to stand firmly with Azam Khan and the people did.
“Had fair elections been held in Rampur and the administration not used force, it would have been the biggest victory so far,” he claimed.
On Mainpuri, he said, “Though the administration worked on the government’s signal, the people here did not listen to it and voted for the SP. I thank partymen and leaders for this historic win.”
