We lost due to EC: Mulayam

Etawah, July 17 (UNI) Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav today held the Election Commission (EC) responsible for the defeat at the hustings.

Addressing party workers in his assembly constituency here, Mr Yadav said, ''We lost due to EC...The commission had created a terror in the minds of people.'' However, the former Chief Minister also pulled up party leaders and office-bearers for the recent poll debacle, that allowed Mayawati to come to power in UP.

''Party office-bearers were apathetic towards the grass roots workers during the assembly poll, that led us to defeat,'' he lamented.

Lambasting those deserting SP in the aftermath of poll, Mr Yadav termed them ''cowards'' and said the party was well off without such leaders.

On the forthcoming presidential election, the SP chief noted, ''BJP and Congress wanted to defeat us in the poll, therefore, we decided to abstain from the process itself.'' Mr Yadav also cast aspersions on the credibility of CBI saying it was no more a transparent probe agency and could not be trusted.

UNI