Sharad Yadav blames it on low BJP credibility

While the BJP has said it will analyse the reasons for its poor showing in the UP poll, the leader of its principal ally JD(U), Sharad Yadav, has lost no time in ascribing it to the saffron party’s "lack of credibility" with the electorate which had apprehensions that it may help Samajwadi Party to return to power in the event of a hung Assembly.

"In comparison , the people of UP were totally convinced that only BSP chief Mayawati could get rid of Mulayam Singh and the goonda raj that prevailed during his party’s rule.The voters regarded the BJP with suspicion because of the general perception about its past role vis a vis the Samajwadi Party," he said.

"Despite the fact that we had no understanding with the SP and the BJP was honestly opposing it, somehow we failed to convey this impression fully on the voters’ minds," according to him.

Analysing the election results, the JD(U) chief said the poor law and order situation in the state appeared to have become the single most important issue in this election before which all other issues paled into the background.

Yadav, who was instrumental in persuading the BJP to forge an alliance with Sone Lal Patel’s Apna Dal, a regional party with support among the backward Kurmi caste, candidly admitted that the move had failed to enlist the support of the backwards for their alliance in a way they had expected.

The JD(U) chief, along with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Sone Lal had campaigned extensively for the election in the hope of getting a good response from the backward castes.

But the response was rather dismal with JD(U) winning only two of the 17 seats its contested while the Apna Dal, which fought on as many as 37 seats, got only one with its leader himself having lost.

The decision to go along with Apna Dal had been taken by the BJP central leadership against the wishes to the state unit leaders.

Yadav, however, claimed that their alliance with the BJP had been stitched too late, very close to the polls, to be fully effective.

E-mail author: hsbartwal@hindustantimes.com