With the BJP winning six out of seven Assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has sent a strong message to his political opponent and detractors that he is very much in control despite Covid-19 and Hathras.
Despite corning the state government on the issues of coronavirus and Hathras issues, the Opposition failed to make a single dent in the BJP’s following. The ruling party retained all the six seats that it held before the by-elections. With this, CM Adityanath re-established his position as an undisputed leader in the state and his following among the people.
The BJP took the by-elections seriously and deployed all its energies and organisation in fighting the polls. CM Adityanath and state BJP president Swatantra Dev Singh vigorously campaigned even during the pandemic and all ministers and party leaders were deployed in the constituencies for campaigning.
In contrast, SP leader Akhilesh Yadav, BSP supremo Mayawati and Congress general secretary for the state Priyanka Gandhi Vadra chose not to campaign for their respective parties. It was left to local leaders to face the mighty BJP organizational machinery.
The SP managed to retain the Malhani seat but was given a huge challenge by an independent candidate, Dhananjay Singh.
“We will try harder again. We are not going to give up,” said SP leader Anurag Bhadauria.
A senior Congress leader told IANS, “There was only one seat, Bangarmau, where we had hopes of winning. However, a number of leaders led by former MP Annu Tandon quit the party in the middle of the campaign and this setback led to our defeat. The state leadership owes us an explanation for what happened because all senior leaders were kept away from the campaign.”
Knives are out in the state Congress—not only for state president Ajay Kumar Lallu—but also for party general secretary and in-charge Priyanka Vadra. “Where is Priyanka Gandhi? If other leaders could campaign in the pandemic, why did she not turn up? Someone has to take responsibility for the manner in which the Congress is sinking in UP. The day is not far when the Congress will turn into non-profit organization in UP,” IANS quoted a former UPCC president as saying.
The bypolls have also set alarm bells ringing for the BSP which contested the by-elections for the first time and could not win even a single seat. The party suffered a loss of two per cent votes, compared to 2017 Assembly polls.
“Our party will have to do some introspection before the next assembly elections. It is up to the party high command to take a call on this,” said a BSP MLA.
With IANS inputs