india

Updated: May 28, 2019 07:34 IST

In a ‘thank you’ letter, Samajwadi Party (SP) patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav has credited workers of his party, as well as those from the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) for his victory from Mainpuri Lok Sabha constituency. The three-time former chief minister won the seat for the fifth time, albeit with his lowest victory margin.

While Singh won the seat by 360,000 votes in 2014, his victory margin in 2019 was 94,000 votes.

According to political observers, it was the alliance that helped Singh. In 2014, the BSP candidate pitted against him had polled 140,000 votes.

Initially, Singh had not been keen to make the alliance struck by his son and party president Akhilesh Yadav. Eventually, Singh was fielded as the gathbandhan candidate for Mainpuri, and even attended a joint rally with BSP supremo Mayawati.

In a letter addressed to Mainpuri voters, as well as BSP and SP workers, Singh wrote: “I am thankful to the people of Mainpuri, the place that had been my ‘Karmbhoomi’, for letting me represent it for the fifth time. I am thankful to all from the bottom of my heart. I will do everything possible to take Mainpuri’s development to newer heights.”

“I express my gratitude to all the workers of SP and BSP for working this hard to ensure my victory,” the letter stated.

Singh wrote the letter on his official Member of Parliament letterhead. In the pre-poll alliance, of which the Rashtriya Lok Dal was also a part, SP contested 37 seats, the BSP fought on 38 seats, while the RLD contested three seats. However, the BSP won 10 seats, while the SP bagged only five. Three members of Yadav’s family — Dimple Yadav (Kannauj), Dharmendra Yadav (Badaun) and Akshaya Yadav (Firozabad) — lost the election, and the RLD drew a blank.

The state has 80 seats, of which the BJP won 62 seats. It’s ally, Apna Dal, won two seats