Ill-timed polls led to poor voting: SP

Claiming that "ill-timed" elections led to poor voting percentage in Uttar Pradesh, Samajwadi Party on Tuesday said it was a "timely loss" as the party wanted to play a long innings and was engaged in formation of a secular Third Front to fight communal forces.

"Uttar Pradesh government had recommended to the Election Commission to hold elections in March. However, it chose April and May when farmers were busy in harvesting; weather was hostile with the result only 40 per cent polling was possible," state party president Sheikh Abdul Rehman told reporters in Srinagar.

He said these were the main reasons for SP's debacle in the hustings, but called the defeat "timely" as the party was engaged in formation of secular Third Front.

"SP is engaged in the formation of a secular Third Front in the country minus Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party. The proposed front will take shape before the next general elections in the country," he said.

Rehman said in the changed situation of coalition politics, regional parties have a vital role to play as the time of one party dominance was over.

Besides SP, Telugu Desam Party of Andhra Pradesh, Asom Gana Parishad, Indian National Lok Dal of Haryana and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam of Tamil Nadu have already got together in the formation of the front, he said adding, we are also working to rope in other regional parties to make it a real secular front to fight communmal forces in the country.

He said the formation of the Third Front was imperative as the governments in the past were not able to put an end to corruption and poverty, unemployment, lawlessness and communalism.