Results setback to Yadav's dream

SP loss in MP, R’than, Delhi dashes Mulayam’s hopes to expand party beyond UP.

Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav’s hopes to expand his support base beyond Uttar Pradesh to increase his tally of seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and get more ‘bargaining power’ in the event of an anticipated fractured mandate suffered a serious setback with his party drawing a blank in the Assembly polls in MP, Rajasthan and Delhi.

The results also came as a big damper for the BSP supremo Mayawati, whose party drew a blank in Delhi and could barely make its presence felt in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan while losing seats in Madhya Pradesh.

Fails to open account

The SP, which had bagged a few seats in the last Assembly polls in MP and Rajasthan, failed to open its account in any of these three states though it had put up its candidates on several seats. SP had won one seat each in MP and Rajasthan last time.

High hopes

Ever since the SP had been swept to power in UP with an impressive mandate in the last year’s Assembly polls, Mulayam Singh has been making efforts to make an impression in the other states.

Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has been making regular visits in an attempt to establish a functional unit there and scout for strong candidates.

“The results are a big setback,” admitted a senior SP leader here.

The party leaders were confident of winning a couple of seats in Madhya Pradesh.

“Our candidates had received over one and half lakh votes in the 2009 elections at Tikamgarh, Satna and Rewan districts, which are on the borders of the state,” said the SP leader.

He said the SP had ‘focused’ on the seats in these districts. “We were also confident of winning at least one seat in Delhi,” he added.

BSP loses to rivals

The Bahujan Samaj Party, which had won seven seats in MP last time, could win only five this time losing two to its rivals.

It had two seats in Delhi but this time the AAP storm swept it too and the party could not win any seat.

The BSP had won six seats in Rajasthan in the previous Assembly polls but this time it could win only two. The party also won one seat in Chhattisgarh.

Mulayam has indicated on various occasions that he nurtured prime ministerial ambitions.

The Samajwadi Party supremo  has been trying hard to expand his party’s base to other states so that SP could win a couple of seats there also in the next LS polls and add to his kitty.