"It can neither be called an election, nor an election result, said Azam Khan. (FILE)
It can neither be called an election nor an election result, said Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan on Sunday after the party's defeat in the Lok Sabha by-polls.
Mr Khan's response came after Samajwadi Party suffered a major jolt when its candidate from Rampur Asim Raja lost to BJP's Ghanshyam Singh Lodhi. The party also lost in its bastion Azamgarh where BJP's Dinesh Lal Yadav 'Nirahua' defeated SP's Dharmendra Yadav.
Speaking to ANI after the declaration of the result, Azam Khan said, "It can neither be called an election, nor an election result. Polling station of 900 votes, and only 6 votes were cast? The area is of Muslims, and just one vote was cast? What reason should I cite?"
"Indeed," he said when asked if he considers his party's candidate victorious from Rampur.
BJP candidate Ghanshyam Singh Lodhi on Sunday won the Lok Sabha bypoll in Rampur, the bastion of Samajwadi Party.
In Rampur, the BJP had fielded Ghanshyam Singh Lodhi who recently joined the party. Whereas, SP candidate Asim Raja was handpicked by Azam Khan. Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) did not contest from Rampur.
"I dedicate my victory to the workers of the party. They have been working continuously day and night. I want to thank the people of Rampur. BJP has always been working for the development of the public," Mr Lodhi said.
"History is being made. BJP wins Rampur LS by-election by 37,797 votes. Azamgarh is also about to win. The death knell to communal, divisive, minority appeasement politics. The mandate for politics of Vikas practised by PM Narendra Modi ably assisted by CM Yogi Adityanath," said BJP national general secretary BL Santhosh.
Rampur Lok Sabha seat went vacant due to the resignation of veteran SP leader Azam Khan after he was elected to the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly in the recently held state election.
Mr Khan was elected MP from Rampur seat in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
The vacancy in the Lok Sabha seat has been created by the resignation of former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav after he was elected an MLA in recently held state Assembly polls.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)