By-poll effect: Ambedkar's portrait in SP office

The new-found bonhomie between arch rivals Samajwadi Party (SP) and BSP was on display at the  SP office here on Saturday.

A portrait of Dalit icon B R Ambedkar was seen beside that of socialist ideologue Ram Manohar Lohia during a press conference by SP supremo Akhilesh Yadav.

A few BSP leaders, who joined the SP on Saturday in the presence of Akhilesh, were also given pictures of Ambedkar and Lohia.

On Friday, a hoarding containing the pictures of Akhilesh and BSP supremo Mayawati had been put up outside the SP office here reflecting the growing proximity between the two leaders.

SP leaders said the objective behind promoting Ambedkar among SP workers was to ensure that they developed an understanding with the BSP workers on the ground.

"It is easy to forge an electoral alliance with the BSP, but it will be difficult to reap its benefits unless there is good coordination among the workers of the two parties at the booth level," said a senior SP leader while speaking to DH.

He said that it was the coordination at the ground level that helped the SP trounce the BJP in its strongholds in the recent by-polls in Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha constituencies.

The SP leader admitted that it was easier for Mayawati to get Dalit votes transferred to a party in the event of an alliance. "For us, it would not be that easy... that is why we are trying to familiarise our workers with Ambedkar," he said.