Akhilesh calls bypoll results BJP's '12-year return gift'; Lalan Singh says defeats are part of politics

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on August 4, 2026, called the bypoll results a "12-year return gift" to the BJP. He claimed the outcome showed the party’s real support when elections are fair. Meanwhile, Union Minister Lalan Singh dismissed the losses, saying, "In politics, it happens," as part of democracy.