Electoral Record
The Samajwadi Party is primarily based in Uttar Pradesh. Its support is largely based on OBCs (Other Backward Castes), particularly Mulayam Singh Yadav's own Yadav caste, and Muslims. It has contested Lok Sabha and State Assembly elections around the country, though its successes have been mainly in Uttar Pradesh. In the assembly election in Madhya Pradesh in 2003, the Samajwadi Party gained 7 seats, making it the third largest party in the state. When its candidate won the by-election of Lanji (Balaghat) in 2007, its total tally reached 8.
In the 15th Lok Sabha, it currently has 22 members, making it the third largest party in that house.
In 2005, former Karnataka Chief Minister Bangarappa resigned from the BJP to join the Samajwadi Party. He successfully held his Lok Sabha seat, Shimoga, on the Samajwadi ticket.
In the 2007 Uttar Pradesh legislative election, the SP won only 96 seats as compared to 146 in the previous election. As a result, Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav had to resign, with his rival Mayawati, leader of the BSP (which won a majority of 207 seats), sworn in as the Chief Minister.
In the 2012 legislative assembly elections of Uttar Pradesh, it registered a landslide victory with a clear majority in the House, thus enabling it to form the Government in the state. This was expected to be the fifth term of Mulayam Singh Yadav as Chief Minister of state. But Mulayam Singh Yadav himself surprised everyone by selecting his son Akhilesh Yadav to be the new Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.After he officially became the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister on March 15,he is the youngest ever Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.It is also the first time SP heads the UP government for full term of 5 years.
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