Lucknow: The defeat of the BSP candidate Bhimrao Ambedkar, backed by SP and Congress, is bound to have major political ramifications in Uttar Pradesh.

The defeat of the joint Opposition candidate has not only put a question mark on the possibility of a non-BJP alliance in UP, but has also exposed Ms Mayawati’s diminishing control over her own legislators.

Over-confidence of the SP after its victory in recent Lok Sabha byelections in Gorakhpur and Phulpur has also been exposed in the defeat of the BSP candidate. The party’s election strategy was obviously not fool proof and neither was the distribution of the second preference votes.

The BSP, undoubtedly, will use the defeat of its candidate to highlight the anti-Dalit mentality of the other parties.