A DAY after suffering a beating at the hustings in the civic polls, ruling Samajwadi Party leaders here held a brainstorming discussion to review the party’s ‘poor’ performance.
However, there are credible reports of attempts being made by the ruling Samajwadi Party to lure some independents into the party fold to keep its earlier strength intact.
“We are assessing the reasons behind the defeat of our candidates from SP-dominated belts”, Rakesh Jain, SP city president said on phone, adding, “many factors which played spoilsport for the party have surfaced in the meeting.”
He said he would be handing over the secret report about such ‘causes’ which contributed in the poor showing of Samajwadi Party in the civic polls to Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav on November 15 in Lucknow.
He also held one of the ministers responsible for the mess in his area where the party lost face with most voters shifting sides towards BJP. “The result from the wards falling under Chiraigaon assembly segment were shocking for SP”, Jain said, and wondered as to what went wrong and how even when they had their own minister who happened to be assistant incharge of SP electioneering.
Sources said some independents are being approached by some SP leaders for their joining the SP fold, an attempt seen by some towards maintaining the pre-poll strength in Nagar Nigam.
{{/usCountry}}Sources said some independents are being approached by some SP leaders for their joining the SP fold, an attempt seen by some towards maintaining the pre-poll strength in Nagar Nigam.
{{/usCountry}}“Right now I know of one candidate who contested as an independent as we could not give her a party ticket —- but she won”, Jain said. She is likely to join SP, he said. There are 12 independents in the newly constituted Nagar Nigam.
BJP won 35 seats of corporators where as 33 seats were won by Samajwadi Party, Congress secured 8, Independents 12 and Apna Dal 2. Results show the worst drubbing of Samajwadi Party candidates as it has lost 13 seats of corporators from the last civic polls. This drubbing was contrary to the claims of the SP leaders that their party will fair well in the polls in view of `massive welfare schemes launched by the Mulayam Singh government during its three years in office.