Shivpal Yadav Credits "United Family" As Party Nears Win In Key UP Election

As Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate Dimple Yadav took a comfortable lead in Mainpuri, Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia) founder Shivpal Singh Yadav on Thursday said the party is heading for a big victory as the entire family contested the election unitedly.

Soon after Dimple Yadav, wife of SP chief Akhilesh Yadav took a lead of over one lakh votes over her BJP rival, Shivpal Yadav visited his brother and SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadav's memorial in Mainpuri and paid floral tributes to him.

"The entire family unitedly contested the election due to which we are heading for a big victory. In all future elections, the family (Yadav family) will remain united and contest together," he told reporters in Mainpuri.

The seat fell vacant after the death of the SP patron last month.

Shivpal Yadav said his Jaswant Nagar constituency, which lies in Mainpuri parliamentary constituency, has broken the past record when it gave over 90,000 lead to 'netaji' (Mulayam) He said this is the victory of the "ideals of netaji' and development works carried out by him.

"Netaji's 'jalwa' (influence) is still continuing," he said, adding, "The victory margin here (Mainpuri) will be over two lakh".

Alleging that on the directions of the BJP government, officers resorted to atrocities on party workers, he said they accepted the challenge and faced the situation.

Shivpal Yadav and his nephew Akhilesh Yadav, who parted ways many times in the past, buried the hatchet ahead of the by-election.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)