UP Panchayat Elections Take Ruling BJP by Surprise Ahead of 2022 State Assembly Polls

After the results of the state assembly elections in West Bengal, the Uttar Pradesh panchayat election results have again surprised the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as it seems to be struggling in Ayodhya, Mathura and Varanasi, which is also the parliamentary constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. However, the BJP has claimed that they have got the maximum number of seats in UP Panchayat Polls. The final results of the UP panchayat elections are yet to be announced as counting was yet to be finished in some districts.

Ayodhya has 40 zila panchayat seats. While Samajwadi Party sources have claimed to win 24 seats, the BJP has managed to win only six seats and 12 seats have been bagged by independent candidates. The BJP had refused tickets to some of its leaders in Ayodhya after which 13 of its leaders filed nominations as independent candidates. However, BJP sources have claimed that the party has the support of the independent candidates as well.

In PM Modi’s constituency Varanasi, the condition of BJP is also not very good. After losing the MLC elections, the BJP seems to be struggling in zila panchayat elections as well. Out of 40 seats of zila panchayat, the BJP seems to have bagged only eight seats as of now. The Samajwadi Party, on the other hand, has claimed that the party has won 14 seats and BSP has won five seats. Apna Dal(S) has also bagged three seats while Aam Aadmi Party and SBSP, led by Om Prakash Rajbhar, have bagged one seat each. Three independent candidates have also won the race. In 2015 also the BJP had lost the Zila Panchayat seat but the party took it back after the formation of Yogi Adityanath government in the state.

In Mathura, the Bahujan Samaj Party sources have claimed to win a maximum of 12 seats while Rashtriya Lok Dal has claimed to win eight seats while BJP seems to be winning just nine seats as of now. The Samajwadi Party has claimed to win one seat while three independent candidates have also won. The BJP sources have claimed that independent candidates are with them. The poor performance of the ruling party in Mathura is said to be because of the farmers’ protest.

All the three cities of Ayodhya, Mathura and Varanasi have been the top priority of BJP but the zila panchayat results and trends indicate that almost eight months before 2022 state assembly elections in the state, the position of the ruling party was not very good. Meanwhile, the BSP gaining lead in Mathura has also revealed that the political effect of Mayawati is far from over in this region. The UP panchayat elections were considered as a litmus test not just for the ruling BJP but also for SP, BSP and Congress ahead of crucial 2022 state assembly polls.

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