Is there any way to stop the BJP juggernaut? The BJP put on a splendid performance in the four states ruled by it, sweeping away the Opposition with its governance model mounted on pillars of welfarism, Hindutva and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s unflagging popularity
It’s four out of five for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as it emerged victorious in Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Uttarakhand and Manipur. The Aam Aadmi Party proved its electoral prowess with a landslide win in Punjab.
With these poll results, the BJP has proven it just can’t be stopped.
Uttar Pradesh
The BJP will retain power in India’s most populous state in a triumph for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
The data showed that the BJP and its allies had won 274 of the 403 seats, with a vote share of 41.8 per cent as against 39.67 per cent in the 2017 Assembly polls, an increase of 2.13 per cent.
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The Samajwadi Party (SP) and its allies were able to win 124 seats, while the Congress and the BSP had to eat dust with just 2 and 1 seats respectively.
With this win, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has achieved the maiden feat of an incumbent returning to power in the state after serving a full term.
There’s also news swirling that with the Uttar Pradesh win, Yogi may get a place at the BJP high table with a berth in its parliamentary board, the highest decision-making body of the party.
The results in Uttar Pradesh are a referendum on Modi’s popularity and a resounding endorsement of his party’s politics.
The result also dents the hopes of Opposition parties that are banking on forming a united front to challenge Modi in the next general election.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath gestures to his supporters after BJP’s win in the state Assembly elections at the party office in Lucknow. AFP
Reacting to the win, Yogi Adityanath said that people have buried the politics of caste and religion by ensuring a massive victory for the BJP and its allies in Uttar Pradesh under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Addressing BJP workers at the party’s state headquarters in Lucknow, 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.
He was apparently taking a dig at Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav for raising questions over EVMs. “The false propaganda regarding EVMs and election material over the last few days have been rejected.”
“The people of UP have buried the dynastic politics and also politics of caste and religion by ensuring victory to the BJP and its allies,” Adityanath, who was the BJP’s face in Uttar Pradesh polls, said.
Continuing with his tirade against the Opposition, he said people have supported the politics of nationalism, security and development.
The BJP had gone into the elections with the Apna Dal (Sonelal), led by Union minister Anupriya Patel, and Nishad Party headed by MLC Sanjay Nishad.
“The mammoth victory of the party proves that the politics of development and good governance has been blessed by the people of UP. We will take forward our pledge of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ (inclusive development),” he said.
The BJP government’s effort on the law and order front in the state, and implementation of development policies along with work done for the poor has led to this victory, he said.
Punjab
Supporters of AAP celebrate after their party’s win in the Punjab state Assembly elections in Amritsar. AFP
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) won 92 of the 117 Assembly seats, decimating the Congress and the SAD-BSP combine and making leaders like Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, Parkash Singh Badal and Amarinder Singh bite the dust.
While AAP bagged three-fourth of the seats, the Congress won 18, SAD 3, BJP 2 and BSP 1. An Independent also emerged victorious.
AAP will now form its second government in the country after the one led by Arvind Kejriwal in Delhi.
Kejriwal hailed the party’s performance in Punjab as a “revolution” while his party leader Raghav Chadha said AAP will emerge as the replacement of the Congress at the national-level in coming days.
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Political stalwarts like Channi, Parkash Singh Badal, Amarinder Singh, Navjot Singh Sidhu and Sukhbir Singh Badal had to face a drubbing.
Channi was handily defeated by AAP’s Labh Singh Ugoke with a margin of 37,558 votes from Bhadaur. He also lost from Chamkaur Sahib, where he was defeated by AAP’s Charanjit Singh by a margin of 7,942 votes.
SAD patriarch and former CM Parkash Singh Badal (94), the oldest candidate in the fray, lost to AAP’s Gurmeet Singh Khudian from his traditional Lambi seat in Muktsar district by a margin of 11,396 votes.
SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal lost to AAP’s Jagdeep Kamboj from Jalalabad seat in Punjab’s Fazilka district by a margin of 30,930 votes.
Amarinder Singh, 79, was defeated by AAP candidate Ajit Pal Singh Kohli from Patiala (Urban) by a margin of 19,873 votes.
Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu, senior SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia and several Punjab Ministers also tasted defeat.
AAP’s chief ministerial face Bhagwant Mann won from Dhuri by a huge margin of 58,206 votes.
“Many congratulations to the people of Punjab for this revolution,” AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal said in a tweet in Hindi.
He also posted a picture of him standing with party’s chief ministerial face Bhagwant Mann.
Mann said the oath-taking ceremony of the new Punjab cabinet will be held at Khatkar Kalan, the ancestral village of legendary freedom fighter Bhagat Singh in Nawanshahr district.
Rival parties congratulated AAP for its victory, with outgoing CM Channi saying, “I humbly accept the verdict of the people of Punjab and Congratulate @AamAadmiParty and their elected CM @BhagwantMann Ji for the victory. I hope they will deliver on the expectations of people.”
State Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu also congratulated AAP.
Former CM Amarinder Singh said he accepted the verdict of people with all humility as democracy triumphed.
SAD’s Sukhbir Singh Badal said his party accept the people’s mandate whole-heartedly.
“I am grateful to lakhs of Punjabis who placed their trust in us & to to SAD-BSP workers for their selfless toil. We will continue to serve them with humility in the role they have assigned to us,” Sukhbir Badal tweeted.
AAP’s vote percentage was over 42 per cent as compared to 22.98 per cent of the Congress while SAD got 18.38 per cent, BJP 6.60 per cent, BSP’s 1.77 per cent. NOTA share was 0.71 per cent.
Uttarakhand
The BJP has secured a second consecutive term in office in Uttarakhand winning 44 out of the total 70 seats. With this, the BJP has once again made history by winning two successive Assembly elections in the state as it had never happened in its 21-year history.
However, it was also the only state where the BJP’s vote share declined to 44.3 per cent from 46.5 per cent in 2017.
And while BJP retained Uttarakhand, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami lost his own seat of Khatima by a margin of over 6,000 votes.
The Congress once again couldn’t do much in the hill state and that was reflective in the fact that its veteran face Harish Rawat lost his own seat of Lalkuwa by over 17,000 votes.
Rawat’s loss from Lalkuwa is significant as he was initially fielded by the party high-command from the Ramnagar constituency, but shifted to Lalkuwa following an opposition to his candidature by party colleague and one-time close associate Ranjeet Rawat.
Goa
Belying predictions of fractured mandate, Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant delivered victory for the party in the Assembly elections in the coastal state.
Under Sawant’s leadership, the BJP managed to win 20 out of 40 Assembly seats, more than what it had won five years ago, which makes it likely that he will continue in his post.
The BJP said it will take a decision on staking claim to form the next government in the state after a meeting of its newly elected MLAs on Friday.
The BJP has said it has received letters of support from the Maharshtrawadi Gomantak Party (2 seats) and three Independent MLAs, enabling the ruling party to cross the simple majority mark of 21.
Manipur
The BJP will return to power in insurgency-hit Manipur, with the party bagging 32 seats in the 60-member Assembly.
The saffron party has secured 37.76 per cent votes, while the Congress stood second with 16.82 per cent votes.
Chief Minister N Biren Singh defeated his nearest Congress rival P Saratchandra Singh by 18,271 votes in Heingang seat.
Former chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh was among the few Congress candidates who tasted victory. He defeated his nearest BJP rival by 2,543 votes in Thoubal constituency.
In the last elections, the BJP had formed the government in Manipur, despite having clinched just 21 seats, as it joined hands with regional parties NPP and NPF.
The saffron party’s strength later increased to 28 due to a series of defections.
With inputs from PTI
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