It was not just "social engineering" but her visible potential to actually be the only alternative at the hustings, combined with the enforcement of the rule of law by the election commission, that proved all media wrong and enabled Mayawati to bulld
On his part, however, Mulayam sought to blame it on the election commission. Emerging out of Raj Bhawan after submitting his resignation to Governor T.V.Rajeshwar asullen looking Mulayam was livid o the election commission. "The election commission is responsible for Samajwadi Party’s defeat ", he declared . "The election commission had pitted all parties against the Samajwadi Party", he added."The presence of armed para military personer at every polling booth was intimidating and created an atmosphere of terror, keeping many of them away", he said, while terming it as "an anti-democratic step." He even charged the commission of "running a parallel government."
Evidently, the election commission’s strict enforcement of laws did not go well with Mulayam, who would have obviously been happier with the run-of-the-mill election-- where musclemen can have their way and feudal lords can keep the hapless, oppressed, ordinary voter well away from the polling booths.There were lakhs across the length and breadth of the state who could exercise their right of franchise for the first time.
Sure enough, it was not just Mayawati's social engineering but her visible potential toactually be the only alternative at the hustings that could contain lawlessless letloose by Mulayam and his unbridled henchmen, and, above all, the enforcement of the rule of law by chief election commissionerN Gopalaswami, that enabled Mayawati to bulldoze her way tothis unprecedented victory.