Samajwadi Party bags 60 district panchayat chairman posts

The ruling Samajwadi Party today tasted massive success in the district panchayat chairman polls by winning in 60 out of 74 districts, including two rebel MLAs who also displayed the winning streak.
"Of 74 districts, where elections for the post of district panchyat chairman were held, the party has won in 60 districts. The figures included 36 districts, including Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi's Amethi, where party won unopposed. It's a big victory for the party," party spokesman Rajendra Chowdhury said.
In an embarrassment to the Congress, the party's Amethi nominee for the post of chairman of district panchayat, Krishna Chaurasiya had withdrawn her nomination on January 4, paving way for the unopposed election of SP candidate Shiv Kali Maurya.

The Samajwadi party, however had to face an inconvenient situation in Sitapur, where party MLA Rampal Yadav, who was expelled for six years yesterday, managed to ensure the victory of his son Jitendra Yadav.
Jitendra won by securing 45 out of 79 votes defeating SP candidate Seema Gupta.
After the victory, Rampal said, "The victory of his son is victory of 'samajwad' (socialism) and defeat of opportunists. We are true samajwadis."

In Bijnor, SP's suspended MLA Ruchiveera's husband Udyanveera defeated the official SP candidate.
Reacting to the party's victory, the SP said that the results showed that people trusted the party and had faith in it.

"Its the reflection of people's faith in the party. We will again form government in 2017 as people have understood that only SP could ensure development of the state," party spokesman Chowdhury said.
Meanwhile, BJP state president Laxmikant Bajpai said that his party won seven seats in the polls.
"Despite blatant misuse of official machinery by the state government, BJP has won seven seats. The people of the state are fed up with poor law and order situation and will remove the present government in 2017," he added.