Akhilesh Yadav said this was a victory for the farmers, the neglected, the poor and the Dalits. (File)
Reacting to the BJP's loss in the Kairana bypoll, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav said it was a defeat for those who did not believe in democracy. Calling it a victory for "the farmers, the neglected, the poor, and the Dalits", he said the people of Uttar Pradesh taught the BJP a lesson for "betraying them".
Akhilesh Yadav said, "I want to congratulate all the people, farmers, Dalits etc. who voted for us. This is a defeat for those who do not believe in democracy. People have given a befitting reply to the BJP. The people who were trying to divide the nation have got a befitting reply".
"People of the state have taught them a lesson for betraying them. UP government has repeatedly fooled the people. Farmers were told that their loans were waived but instead they lost their lives," he said.
"This is a victory for the farmers, the neglected, the poor and the Dalits," he added.
The joint candidates of opposition parties
won the Lok Sabha bypoll in Kairana and the assembly bypoll in Noorpur.
Akhilesh Yadav thanked the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) chief Ajit Singh, RLD leader Jayant Chaudhary for holding the fort against the BJP in Kairana and recalled the legacy of former Prime Minister Charan Singh.
The SP leader also thanked the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Mahan Party, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Nishad Party, Peace Party, Left parties and the Congress for supporting the opposition candidates in the bypolls.
In bypolls in Maharashtra, the ruling BJP was today staring at a defeat in the Bhandara-Gondiya Lok Sabha constituency, but appeared to retain the Palghar parliamentary seat.
In Bhandara-Gondiya seat, which the BJP had won in the 2014 elections, the NCP's Madhukar Kukade has established a big lead over the BJP's Hemant Patle.
In Palghar, the BJP looked set to retain the seat where it faced a challenge from its own ally Shiv Sena. At the end of 23 rounds of counting, BJP's Rajendra Gavit was leading over his Shiv Sena rival.
With inputs from agencies