JOIN USSenior leaders and party candidates, who lost from their respective areas, attributed their defeat to the “lack of Muslim support” and “division in the core vote bank of the party,” according to SP sources here.
Anti-muslim remarks
The leaders opined that the grassroots-level workers of the party had remained inactive and did not take active part in the campaign. They also referred to the “anti-Muslim” remark of SP leader Amar Singh, which they said was responsible for desertion of the Muslims.
The “Kalyan factor” also came in for discussion and the leaders felt that the Muslims, as was evident in the recent Lok Sabha polls, had kept away from the party in the bypolls as well.
A pall of gloom descended on the party headquarters here in the wake of the defeat. The loss of Ferozabad Lok Sabha seat and the Etawah and Bharthana assembly seats appeared too painful for the leaders to absorb since they were considered to be the home turf of party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav.
This is for the first time that a member of the Mulayam family has lost an election and that too on the home turf, said a leader requesting anonymity.
“What is of concern for the party is the marked shift of the Yadavs towards the BSP as was evident in the loss of Etawah and Bharthana, the two Yadav dominated seats,” quipped a senior leader.
The leaders felt the need for taking some “harsh decisions” especially in the “Yadav belt.” Officially the party blamed the “misuse” of the official machinery for its loss in the by-polls.
The SP candidates lost security deposits in five assembly seats. Five of sitting sitting seats also went to the BSP.