A thriller of an election in UP

While addressing the party volunteers meeting prior to election campaign in Uttar Pradesh, a senior BJP leader said, "Loktantra mein har chunav mushkil hai, virodhi ko bhi vote milenge, par jeetenge hum". The senior leader's words proved correct on the day of poll results as his party won four out of five States.

The landslide victory of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) again this time, is not at all a child's play. Many factors were against the ruling party. In UP, the aggressive campaign of Samajwadi Party, tactfully reunited Yadav, Jatav and SC communities on one forum; Of course Muslim voters are already with it. As prominent non-Yadav (also OBC) leaders defected into SP the State BJP leaders' spirit was demoralised for a while.

The young 48- year- old Akhilesh Yadav's crowd pulling speeches raised the passions of the voters, generated anti-incumbency wave, creating an impression that BJP this time may be pushed to opposition benches. The entry of the charismatic leader, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in fray dramatically changed the scene. Inspite of his busy schedule, the Prime Minister attended 198 campaign meetings in the State.

Unlike polarisation tactics, the saffron party volunteers this time held door to door campaigns reaching the young and women voters at grassroot level highlighting pro active and pro poor measures initiated by the Yogi government in the state during last five years. Thus at the end, voters verdict tilted towards BJP. By gaining 255 seats in its kitty plus allies, the party comfortably retained its power during second successive time (after 35 years) much to the surprise of all opposition leaders including TRS, TMC, NCP parties who dreamt of unseating BJP in this mini-general elections.

Next, the anti-incumbency generated by Congress in Punjab conveniently gave space to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab. As the controversial Farm Laws proved costly affair to BJP, SAD parties in the State elections, the new slogan of AAP leaders, 'Ek mauka AAP nu' (one chance for AAP also) gave desired results to the Party leaders, as electorate unhesitatingly offered them a chance to rule the state by sending its 93 MLAs in the Legislature of 117 Members.

By precipitating the muddy waters in the state party, Congress Chief Navjot Singh Sidhu, reduced his party into shambles, beyond repairs, as the State CM Channi, and other notable leaders (including him) tasted the defeat.

The poll strategy of the saffron party in other states viz. Goa, Uttarakhand and Manipur yielded desired results much to their advantage. The increase of its members in these four Assemblies will also increase its numbers in Rajya Sabha; the path for Rashtrapati Bhavan for the BJP nominee in the forthcoming Presidential elections now seems a cakewalk.

While the Prime Minister Narendra Bhai has his last laugh with the results of just concluded state elections, the arithmetic of Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao and Maratha strongman Sharad Pawar dramatically turned upside down!

Govardhan R Jilla, Mumbai