Ruling Samajwadi Party's new experiment cost dearly

Lucknow: Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh this year saw two major changes: ruling Samajwadi Party allied with the Congress before the polls for the first time and Bahujan Samaj Party preferred Muslims to Dalits. Both the experiments failed to produce desired results.

It will pinch SP head and state chief minister Akhilesh Yadav more because he had gone for the alliance despite advice against it by his elders including his father Mulayam Singh Yadav. His estranged uncle Shivpal Singh Yadav who was unceremoniously removed from his ministry has rightly pointed out that it his was his "I am always right" attitude which let the party down .

The party may have the lowest number of seats in the 17th assembly. Bagging 224 seats in the previous assembly poll the party's lowest achievement in the past was 97 seats in 2007 when the rival BSP had formed government. The party may not reach even that level this year.

In all other elections since 1993 the party had captured more than 100 seats.