Samajwadi Party members flaunt red caps, call it 'alarm bell' for BJP

MPs of the Samajwadi Party (SP) were seen donning red caps on Thursday inside Parliament House. When asked about the renewed love for the headgear - part of the party's dress code -- the MPs said it was a "red signal" and "alarm bell" for the BJP.

Asked why he and his party members were donning red caps, senior party leader Ram Gopal Yadav said: "This red cap is an alarm bell for the BJP."

The Samajwadi Party on Wednesday wrested two major Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh from the ruling BJP. In an alliance with its arch-rival Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) of Mayawati, the Samajwadi Party won the Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha seats with a thumping majority.

The Gorakhpur seat was vacated by Yogi Adityanath -- which he held for five consecutive terms since 1998 -- after he was elevated as the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister. The Phulpur seat was vacated by Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya.

In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the Samajwadi Party could win only five out of 80 seats while the BJP and its allies won 73. The remaining two were won by the Congress.

Ram Gopal Yadav said that the results of the by-polls have given a new direction to the state and national politics.

"The results indicate that the winds of change are blowing and the future election of Lok Sabha would be different," he said.

However, he refused to comment on whether the alliance with the BSP would continue for the general elections scheduled for next year.

"This will be decided by Akhilesh Yadav and behen Mayawati. I cannot comment on this," he said.

The BJP's defeat has renewed the vigour in the opposition camp and many leaders are now openly advocating formation of a grand alliance for 2019.