Lucknow, Jun 6 (IANS): Buoyed by the recent Lok Sabha election results that saw a resurgence of the Samajwadi Party (SP) in Uttar Pradesh (UP) and its emergence as the third-largest party in India, a senior SP leader said on Thursday that if the Assembly elections were held in the state now, the Akhilesh Yadav-led party would form the government.

Veteran SP leader Shivpal Yadav, while speaking to media persons asserted that the people of UP had given the SP a huge mandate.

Asked about his views on the SP's performance in the General Elections, Shivpal Yadav said, “The BJP government in Uttar Pradesh should resign on moral grounds as the Akhilesh Yadav-led INDIA bloc has done very well. If the Assembly elections are held today, INDIA bloc will form the government in UP.”

On the INDIA bloc registering a win in Ayodhya, Shivpal Yadav said that those who have won from there are secular.

"Maryada Purushottam Ram was always there in Ayodhya and he will remain there forever. The people of Ayodhya have chosen the real secular people. Lord Ram's sevak has won the poll in Ayodhya," he said.

“The INDIA bloc has wiped out the BJP in the Faizabad Mandal,” Shivpal Yadav asserted.

On BSP supremo Mayawati's statement that she would think twice before giving tickets to people of the minority community, he said, "The way she kept on changing tickets, people sensed that she was hand in glove with the BJP. Moreover, she did not give the tickets for free."

On the question of the post of Leader of Opposition in the state lying vacant and who from the family would be named for the job as Akhilesh Yadav and four other members of his family won from their respective seats, Shivpal Yadav said this would be decided by the party's leadership.

Asked how former UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav would focus on state and central politics, Shivpal Yadav said this was something that would again be decided by the SP leadership.

Shivpal Yadav, who is Mulayam Singh Yadav’s brother said that the people of UP had opened up their hearts and given a major mandate to the SP and this was all due to the blessings of ‘Netaji’ who was being missed terribly.

The SP clinched 37 seats in UP to emerge as the third-largest party in the 18th Lok Sabha.

While the SP won 37 seats, the Congress also bagged six seats to restrict the BJP to 33 seats in UP.

After the victory the SP chief had said that it was a victory of the "protectors of the Constitution."

Akhilesh had said, "Dear voters, you proved that no one’s power nor anyone's deceit is greater than the power of the people. This time, the people have won not the rulers."

Thanking the people of UP and the country, SP spokesperson Fakhrul Hasan Chaand had said, "SP has become the third-largest party in the country, and the credit goes to the people of UP and the nation. We thank all the minorities, backward people, Dalits, and farmers."