Mayawati takes potshots at SP over bypoll defeat, asks what new excuse for the loss

In the Gola Gokarannath Assembly by-election, the ruling BJP’s Aman Giri defeated SP’s nominee Vinay Tiwari by more than 34,000 votes

Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president Mayawati on Monday took potshots at the Samajwadi Party (SP) over its defeat in the recent Gola Gokarannath Assembly byelection and said the result proved that the Akhilesh Yadav-led party is incapable of defeating the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The four-time U.P. CM added that it needs to be seen whether the SP could save its citadels of Mainpuri Lok Sabha constituency and Rampur Assembly seat in the upcoming December 5 byelections.

In the Gola Gokarannath Assembly by-election, the ruling BJP’s Aman Giri defeated SP’s nominee Vinay Tiwari by more than 34,000 votes in a bipolar contest with the BSP and Congress keeping away.

“Gola Gokarnnath byelection is more in discussion due to the SP’s defeat by 34,298 votes against the BJP. When the BSP mostly does not contest bypolls and was not contesting this also, what new excuse will the SP find for its defeat?” Ms. Mayawati tweeted. The statement was in the backdrop of the Azamgarh byelection held a few months ago, when the SP blamed its defeat on BSP dividing the Muslim vote. The BJP had won the Parliamentary seat by a margin of less than 10,000 votes while the BSP candidate who finished third had received around 2.66 lakh votes.

Ms. Mayawati added that winning the upcoming byelections in Mainpuri and Azamgarh will be a challenge for the SP. “Next month’s byelection for Mainpuri Parliamentary segment and Rampur Assembly seat will be a challenge for the SP. It needs to be seen whether the SP wins these bypolls or again it will be proved that SP is incapable of defeating the saffron party,” she wrote.