SP nears majority, Mulayam heartland celebrates

Etawah: The traditional Yadav bastions of Mainpuri, Etawah and Firozabad celebrated wildly on Tuesday as the Samajwadi Party (SP) seemed set to return to power in Uttar Pradesh.

Groups of party workers took to the streets in Shikohabad with party flags. The mood turned festive, with many smearing one another with Holi colours – two days before the festival.

In Firozabad, home to India's glass and bangle industry, a bulk of Muslim votes appeared to swing decisively towards the Samajwadi Party.

The mood turned festive, with Samajwadi Party supporters smearing one another with Holi colours.

Sughendra Pratap Singh, a young activist of Mainpuri, said: "When the counting began, all parties seemed to be doing well. Then suddenly the Samajwadi Party galloped, routing all others.

"Now that the results are known, it is clear people did not want political instability or uncertainty."

Voting patterns reveal that it is not just the Yadavs, diehard Samajwadi supporters, and members of Other Backward Classes who voted for the cycle – the SP election symbol. Even the urban youth had turned to it, said political commentator Paras Nath Choudhary.

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