A graphic going viral on the internet claims that the Samajwadi Party (SP) has won the state elections and formed a government in Uttar Pradesh when polls were held in years ending with the number "2" like, "1992, 2002 and 2012".
The claim was shared by SP supporters ahead of the upcoming 2022 UP State Elections with the implication being that the party would win the polls because the year ends with 2.
However, we found the claim was misleading. The SP didn't win the election in 1992 as elections were not held that year. While elections were held in 2002, the coalition of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) won the election not SP.
It is true that SP won the election in 2012 under Akhilesh Yadav's leadership who later went on to become the youngest Chief Minister of the state.
CLAIM
The text in the claim read, "जिस चुनावी वर्ष के आखिरी में 2 रहता है तब तब सपा सरकार बनती है, 1992, 2002, 2012, 2022".
[Translation: The SP forms government in UP when the year ends with the number 2.]
The caption added, "और इंशाल्लाह 10 मार्च को भी सपा सरकार बन रही हे. 10 मार्च को आ रहे हे अखिलेश".
[Translation: On 10th March also the SP government will be formed.]
An archive of the post can be found here.
(Source: Facebook/Screenshot)
WHAT WE FOUND OUT
Firstly, the elections were held in Uttar Pradesh in 1991 and 1993, but not in 1992.
A link to the website can be found here.
(Source: ECI/Screenshot)
The BJP had fielded Kalyan Singh as its chief ministerial candidate in 1991, and the party won 221 of 425 seats in the Assembly (Uttarakhand wasn't a separate state back then).
However, Singh's tenure was cut short and he resigned after the Babri Masjid was demolished by the Kar Sevaks on 6 December 1992.
It was in October 1992 that Samajwadi Party was formed by its founder Mulayam Singh Yadav. In 1992, Mulayam Singh formed a coalition with the BSP and contested the elections in 1993. The coalition won the election and Mulayam Singh was made the chief minister.
In 2002, the elections threw up a hung assembly with SP becoming the single-largest party, however they could not form the government. The BJP extended support to BSP and Mayawati became the CM of the state for the third time.
She, however, didn't complete her term and resigned in August 2003. Mulayam Singh was sworn in as the CM the same month after getting support from the BSP dissidents and remained in power till 2007.
In 2012, SP formed the government with a clear majority by winning 224 seats, making Akhilesh Yadav the youngest CM of the state at the age of 38.
So, to sum it all up, SP has so far formed the government in UP three times since its inception - in 1993, 2003 and 2012. Therefore, the claim that the party wins the election if the year ends with "2" is misleading.
(Not convinced of a post or information you came across online and want it verified? Send us the details on WhatsApp at 9643651818, or e-mail it to us at webqoof@thequint.com and we'll fact-check it for you. You can also read all our fact-checked stories here.)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)