Samajwadi Party candidate Dimple Yadav has won the prestigious Lok Sabha seat of Mainpuri by over two lakh votes, defeating her BJP rival Raghuraj Singh Shakya on Thursday.
The Mainpuri Lok Sabha seat became vacant after Mulayam Singh Yadav, the founder of the Samajwadi Party, passed away on October 10, necessitating a byelection within six months
Massive celebrations broke out at the Samajwadi Party office in Mainpuri, where party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Dimple Yadav held a press conference, cheered on by thousands of party supporters
Party workers were seen dancing to the beat of the dhol and pungi flute and waving party flags.
Watch the video here:
Both Dimple and Akhilesh Yadav had campaigned extensively for the election, seeking votes in the name of "Netaji," as Mulayam Singh Yadav was called.
The victory has also led to what appears to be a permanent patch-up between Akhilesh and his uncle Shivpal Yadav, whose relations have been strained for the last few years. Shivpal is an influential politician in the area.
" The entire family unitedly contested the bypoll due to which we are heading for a big victory. In all future elections, the family (Yadav family) will remain united and contest together," Shivpal told reporters in Mainpuri.
He also announced that his party would be merged with the Samajwadi party soon to present a united face.
After the win, Dimple Yadav thanked Mainpuri voters for supporting her.
"I want to thank everyone who has supported me. I said this would be a historic mandate in the name of Neta ji and that is what has happened," she said.
Though the outcome of the bypolls would not make much difference to the government at the Centre as well as in Uttar Pradesh as the BJP has a comfortable majority at both places, a win would give a psychological advantage to the winner in the run-up to the 2024 general election.
Voting was held on December 5 in six assembly seats in Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh and in the Mainpuri Lok Sabha seat.
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