After Election Setback, This SP Leader Sets Himself Ablaze

Lucknow: Electoral setbacks can affect different people in different ways. Some can even go to the extent of taking their lives, or at least try to.

After BJP won the UP assembly election with a thumping majority to retain power, it left many in the Samajwadi Party (SP) sulking.

The party’s Kanpur vice-president Narendra Singh alias ‘Pintu’ allegedly attempted to commit suicide by setting himself ablaze outside Vidhan Bhawan.

The 55-year-old businessman, who suffered 30 per cent burn injuries, is undergoing treatment at a government hospital. His condition is said to be critical.

Narendra was of the view that SP lost the election to BJP because of irregularities in electronic voting machines and hence took the extreme step, said SP’s Kanpur district president Dr Imran.

Hazratganj police station house officer Shyam Babu Shukla said Narendra travelled from Kanpur to Lucknow on Thursday, when votes were counted. On hearing that BJP was on way to winning the state for the second consecutive time, Narendra came outside Vidhan Bhawan carrying petrol in a bucket, poured it on himself and set himself on fire, police informed.

A police team noticed him, rushed to Narendra, doused the flames and rushed him to hospital.