Getting a thumbs from the people of Uttar Pradesh on the “double-engine government”, the BJP on Thursday cruised towards a consecutive victory in the politically crucial state even as the desperate attempts by its nearest rival Samajwadi Party to turn the tables failed to reap much benefits.
The poll trends showed the BJP-led NDA leading in 267 seats against 127 of the Samajwadi Party, which had joined hands with the Rashtriya Lok Dal — a party which enjoyed an overwhelming support base in western UP. Meanwhile, the BSP and the Congress were left decimated as they struggled with just one and two seats respectively in their kitties.
Addressing party workers at the state headquarters in Lucknow, Adityanath said people have buried the politics of caste and religion by ensuring the victory of BJP and its allies in Uttar Pradesh under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Asserting that the mandate was given by the people of the state for nationalism and development, he said the “misleading” campaign run by the Opposition over the past 2-3 days have been set aside by the people who reposed faith in the good governance of the BJP.
Prominent candidates who have secured a lead include Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath from Gorakhpur Urban, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav from Karhal, Shivpal Yadav from Jaswant Nagar and Congress Legislature Party leader Aradhana Shukla from Rampur Khas (Pratapgarh).
On the other hand, BJP turncoats — Swami Prasad Maurya, Dara Singh Chauhan and Dharam Singh Saini — were trailing from their respective seats.
The BJP’s vote percentage is 42.3, while the SP got 31.6 per cent votes. The Congress has got a meagre 2.40 per cent, while the BSP got 12.7 per cent. In 2017, the BJP got 312 seats and its allies Apna Dal and SBSP nine and four seats, respectively. The SP got 47, BSP 19, Congress 7 and others five seats in the last assembly elections.
These elections were not only seen as a trendsetter for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections but also as a litmus test for the Yogi government, which faced the anti-incumbency factor coupled with Opposition’s charge on issues like farmers’ protest, Lakhimpur Kheri violence and the alleged mishandling of the COVID-19 situation.