Lucknow/New Delhi, 23rd Nov 2024 : In a decisive performance that reaffirms its political dominance, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has secured five out of the nine Uttar Pradesh Assembly bypolls held this week, with the party leading in a sixth seat. This victory serves as a significant boost to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s leadership and the BJP’s influence in the crucial Hindi heartland.
As of 6:45 PM, the BJP had claimed victories in Ghaziabad, Khair, Majhawan, Katehari, and Phulpur, while maintaining a strong lead in the Kundarki constituency. The Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), a BJP ally, also registered a win in Meerapur.
Key Contest Results and Political Implications
The bypolls were triggered after several sitting legislators, including Akhilesh Yadav of the Samajwadi Party (SP), were elected to the Lok Sabha earlier this year. This created several vacancies that have now been contested.
The Samajwadi Party, which made significant gains in the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, had hoped to consolidate its position in these bypolls but was only able to secure victories in Karhal and Sishamau. Karhal, a stronghold for Yadav and his party, saw the SP leader maintain control, with a win margin of nearly 70,000 votes. The victory extends the SP’s grip on the seat, which has remained under its control for over three decades.
In Sishamau, the SP’s Ramesh Yadav also managed to hold onto the seat. Despite this, the BJP’s performance in other constituencies, including its retention of key seats, signals the party’s continued strength in Uttar Pradesh politics.
BJP Wins Five of Nine Uttar Pradesh Assembly Bypolls, Strengthens Hold Over Key State
— Yogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) November 23, 2024
RLD and BJP’s Victory in Key Constituencies
The RLD’s win in Meerapur was also noteworthy, where Mithlesh Pal defeated Sumbul Rana of the SP by over 30,000 votes. This victory represents the party’s continued relevance in the region. Kundarki, which was won by the SP in 2022, appears to have flipped in favor of the BJP, with Ramveer Singh leading by nearly 1.5 lakh votes. The BJP’s commanding lead suggests that the seat will likely change hands barring any drastic developments.
The Ghaziabad seat, a crucial one for the BJP, remained in the party’s favor. Sanjeev Sharma, who was contesting for the seat, defeated Singh Jatav of the SP by a significant margin of over 63,000 votes. Similarly, the Khair and Phulpur constituencies also stayed with the BJP. In Khair, Surender Diler won by nearly 40,000 votes, while in Phulpur, Deepak Patel triumphed over Mohd Siddique of the SP by around 12,000 votes.
The BJP also successfully retained Majhawan, where Shuchismita Maurya defeated the SP’s Dr. Jyoti Bind by just under 5,000 votes. This seat had been won by the NISHAD Party in the previous election, but Maurya’s victory strengthens the BJP’s position in the region.
BJP’s Strategic Wins and CM Yogi Adityanath’s Triumph
The most striking aspect of these bypolls is the BJP’s ability to not only retain seats it had won in 2022 but also to flip seats previously held by the opposition. For instance, the party’s success in Katehari, a seat previously secured by the SP, is seen as a major political coup. Dharmraj Nishad of the BJP won the seat with a lead of nearly 35,000 votes over the SP’s Shobawati Verma.
As the results were declared, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took to X (formerly Twitter) to express his gratitude to the voters and celebrate the party’s victory. He attributed the BJP’s success to the “unwavering faith” of the people in the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “This victory is a testament to the good governance, security, and welfare policies of the double-engine government,” Adityanath wrote. His post ended with the controversial war cry “katenge to batenge” a slogan that has attracted criticism from opposition parties for being communal in nature.
Allegations of Electoral Malpractices
The bypolls were not without controversy, as allegations of electoral malpractice surfaced. Akhilesh Yadav accused the BJP of using the police to intimidate voters, particularly in Muzaffarnagar’s Kakrouli constituency. District officials, however, refuted these claims, stating that police were only responding to stone-pelting during a scuffle between two groups.
Despite the controversy, the BJP’s overall performance in the bypolls underscores its continuing dominance in Uttar Pradesh. The party’s strategic victories in several constituencies indicate its strength in both urban and rural regions, setting the stage for future electoral battles.
Conclusion: A Resounding Victory for the BJP
The BJP’s performance in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly bypolls this week demonstrates the party’s unshakable grip on the state’s political landscape. With five wins and a lead in Kundarki, the BJP continues to solidify its position as a political powerhouse, while Yogi Adityanath reasserts his control over a state central to the BJP’s Hindi heartland strategy. The results send a strong signal that the party remains a dominant force in Uttar Pradesh, despite challenges from rival parties like the Samajwadi Party.