Mulayam Singh said no one was responsible for Samajwadi Party's loss in Uttar Pradesh elections.
Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav today said no one was responsible for the party's stunning defeat in Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, which it fought in alliance with the Congress. The coalition managed to win just 56 of the states 403 seats while the BJP and allies, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, scored a landslide win by claiming 325.
"No one is responsible (for the loss). We failed to convince the voters. Uttar Pradesh voted for BJP because of the promises they made. Let's see if they can fulfil the promises. We have lost earlier too, but then formed a government," he said.
Samajwadi Party's campaign for the polls was marked by in-fighting between two camps of the party led by Mulayam Singh and his son Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav. Voices within the party have also blamed a late alliance with the Congress, opposed by Mulayam Singh but commissioned by Akhilesh.
Akhilesh Yadav, who wrested control of the party from his father amid a bitter power tussle just weeks ahead of the polls, met party workers and leaders today, saying that the Samajwadi Party was not only a party, but an ideology, and that their "struggle will continue."
"You all should reach out to people and strengthen the party again. I will review party's performance and analyse the results. A meeting of all the party candidates and MLAs will be held next week after which we will devise our new strategy," he said.