Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers put colored powder on a photograph of incumbent chief minister Yogi Adityanath as they celebrate early leads for the party in Uttar Pradesh state elections in Lucknow
History was made on Thursday, 10th March 2022, when BJP claimed a landslide victory in Uttar Pradesh. No party had been re-elected in UP for a second term in over three decades - the record is now broken by Yogi Adityanath. According to the latest trends, BJP has won 278 seats while the opposition Samajwadi Party is far behind, with only 119 seats.
Yogi's victory is not just limited to Uttar Pradesh, but the BJP's face on a national level as well. Here are five major reasons that contributed to BJP's super show in Uttar Pradesh.
Also Read | UP Election 2022 Results: BJP headed for big win, SP distant second
1. Yogi as a 'brand': Adityanath's victory created history in Uttar Pradesh, becoming the CM for a second full term in almost 3 decades. The landslide win will speak for itself in other states as well, and a 'brand Yogi' will follow - just like 'brand Modi' was formed in Gujarat. UP politics might move in the same direction.
2. The 'Muslim votes' issue: Current counting trends suggest that Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party had bagged most Muslim votes, and is sweeping Muslim-majority seats. However, Yogi's win denotes that these votes are just a fraction, and do not impact the final results. This will lead to parties that depend on these votes to rethink their strategies.
3. BSP's 'Dalit votes' shift: Until today, UP's major chunk of voters have believed that the Dalit votes in the state belonged to Mayawati-led BSP - for a good reason. The trend has now been broken. This now leads to the saffron party's shift of focus towards the Dalit voters. Strategies might shift towards welfare schemes to reach the faction as much as possible, to make a hat-trick next time as well.
4. Yogi's identity in BJP: A saffron robe, the 'bulldozer' tag, and the fiery speeches - Yogi had always been a core of BJP since he was made CM. However, 2017's polls were fought under the face of Modi. Now, Yogi marked his own recognition in the saffron party. He will now be one of the party's top brass, at the national level too, just after PM Modi and Amit Shah.
5. BJP's edge in 2024 polls: BJP has gained a major edge for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in 2024, especially after Yogi Adityanath's win in UP. The vote share and the clean sweep has ensured a stronger hold for BJP.
Also Read | BJP creates history in UP! Yogi first CM since Independence to be re-elected after serving full 5-year-term
