Huge, frenzied crowds causing a near stampede at his election rallies across Uttar Pradesh had led many to believe that Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav was poised to give the BJP a run for its money, if not beat the saffron party with his alliance partners Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) and Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP) in the Assembly polls. Although Akhilesh