Victory margin would have been huge had there been no EVM tampering: Akhilesh

LUCKNOW: Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday said his party's success in Uttar Pradesh bypolls is the victory of the Dalits, farmers and other weaker sections of the society over the "arrogant" BJP. Addressing a press conference here a day after his party unleashed a double blow to the BJP in bypolls, Akhilesh Yadav said the Uttar Pradesh byelection results will be remembered for long and it will send a strong message to the people of the country. Akhilesh, however, termed the Gorakhpur and Phulpur victories as "big" but alleged tampering of Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) in the elections. "If EVMs would have functioned properly, the margin of victory would have been way higher. Had there been ballot voting, the people would have expressed a lot more anger against the ruling BJP," he said. "Phul' (Lotus) withered in Phulpur, thereby BJP's arrogance has been shattered. I wish the tone of BJP leaders will change from now onwards," he said. Akhilesh also thanked BSP supremo Mayawati for extending her support to the SP for the bypolls and extended his gratitude towards her. He said SP shares healthy relationship with the Congress party and it will continue to grow. The Congress and SP came together for the 2017 state assembly elections but faced a rout. For bypolls, Akhilesh joined hands with Mayawati's BSP against the BJP, while the Congress contested on its own.