The BJP’s comprehensive win in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections finally broke a 36-year-old jinx of the incumbent government being voted back to power in the state.
The incumbent UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath led the BJP to poll victory, riding a high-decibel election campaign, with thrust on the development agenda along with welfare schemes. Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the BJP’s campaign from the outset, first by fully backing the Chief Minister and afterwards by leading an intense campaign in the state. According to the latest data of the Election Commission of India on the trends of the counting of the votes, the BJP has won 171 seats and is leading in 82, whereas the Samajwadi Party is leading on 112 seats and Congress leading only in one constituency.
Moreover, the exit poll results had also predicted that the monk turned politician, Yogi Adityanath is on course to retain power in Uttar Pradesh for the second time.
In Uttar Pradesh, the Indian National Congress had a stronghold in the 1980s as the party retained its power from 1980-88. However, the state witnessed political instability after 1988 with multiple political parties, including Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, and the BJP ruling the state in the 1990s.
‘YADAV FOUGHT VALIANTLY’
Following the counting trends indicating Bharatiya Janata Party returning to power with a comfortable majority for an unprecedented second term in Uttar Pradesh, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Thursday said Samajwadi party president Akhilesh Yadav is not at fault and carries higher stature in the country.
Briefing mediapersons, Pawar said, “SP chief Akhilesh Yadav is not at fault, he contested on his own. He should not think about the polling results as he has higher stature in this country. He has fought better than before.”
On Punjab results, the NCP leader said, “There was anger against Modi in the hearts of Punjab farmers. BJP will have to wait for 2.5 years in Maharashtra.”