Uttar Pradesh by-polls: Setback for BJP, shot in the arm for Samajwadi Party

After a near-total sweep in Lok Sabha polls in Uttar Pradesh, BJP on Tuesday suffered an ignominous blow in the politically-crucial state biting dust in eight of the 11 assembly seats where bypolls were held Saturday.

The saffron party, which emerged triumphant in 71 out of 80 Parliamentary seats in the state four months ago, ceded ground to Samajwadi Party which retained Mainpuri Lok Sabha seat and romped home in eight assembly constituencies.

The Mulayam Singh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party bagged Bijnor, Thakurdwara, Nighasan, Hamirpur, Charkhari, Balha, Sirathu, and Rohaniya assembly seats as results of 11 assembly and one Lok Sabha by-elections poured in from the state.

BJP, which lost seven of the 10 seats held by it as well as one belonging to its ally Apna Dal to the ruling SP, posted wins in only three constituencies -- Saharapur (City), Lucknow East and Noida.

Bahujan Samaj Party, led by Mayawati, did not contest the bypolls while Congress and SP fielded candidates on all 11 seats. BJP contested 10 and its ally Apna Dal one. BSP's absence made it a virtual straight fight between BJP, which apparently fail to reap electoral gains on issues like "Love Jihad", and SP.

In SP bastion Mainpuri, Tej Pratap Singh, grand nephew of Mulayam Singh, drubbed his nearest BJP rival Prem Singh Skahkya by a huge margin of over 3.21 lakh votes.

Mainpuri seat was vacated by Mulayam Singh Yadav who opted to retain the Azamgarh Sabha seat after the Lok Sabha polls.