RAHUL GANDHI

New Delhi: Post-Firozabad, Rahul Gandhi may have changed the way political leaders treat byelections, with a regret in Samajwadi Party that Mulayam Singh Yadav chose a doctrinaire approach to the unwritten code that big leaders do not campaign in minor battles. The Firozabad battle appeared tough from the start but, sources said, the SP chief rebuffed even a hint that he hit the polltrack. He apparently cited the code that senior leaders do not campaign in byelections. Another hitch was that arch rival and chief minister Mayawati decided to keep away from canvassing. The SP chief is learnt to have cited her case to stick to his decision despite the high stakes involved -- his daughter-in-law was contesting from Firozabad and Bharthana and Etawah are part of his fief where he could not risk a defeat. The local party unit and son Akhilesh were asked to take care of the battle. In hindsight, it proved a costly decision, especially as Congress's heir apparent swept the poll turf with a

NEW DELHI: Stung by its defeat in the by-election to the Firozabad Lok Sabha constituency, the Samajwadi Party said it was due to Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi’s influence that the Congress managed to wrest the seat from it. “I congratulate [Congress general secretary] Rahul Gandhi for the performance of the Congress in Firozabad. He had campaigned for Raj Babbar and it was because of his influence that the Congress managed to wrest the seat from us,” SP general secretary Amar Singh told journalists here. Earlier, after the Congress decided to field Mr. Babbar, Mr. Amar Singh had bemoaned that while his party did not field any candidate against Mr. Gandhi and Congress president Sonia Gandhi in the 2009 Lok Sabha polls, the Congress did not show the same courtesy to Mr. Mulayam Singh’s daughter-in-law.