Uttar Pradesh Election Results 2022 Highlights: Yogi Adityanath tenders resignation to governor as his first tenure comes to end

"Akhilesh Yadav and SP accept people's mandate. We thank people of UP for the 2.5 times increase in the seat tally and a 1.5 times surge in the vote share. The results have shown that the BJP's seat count can be decreased & this decline would continue," Samajwadi Party said.

Akhilesh Yadav & SP accept people's mandate. We thank people of UP for the 2.5 times increase in the seat tally and a 1.5 times surge in the vote share. The results have shown that the BJP's seat count can be decreased & this decline would continue: Samajwadi Party#UttarPradesh pic.twitter.com/OaskHjgkuH

— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) March 11, 2022

The Samajwadi Party's Azam Khan and Nahid Hasan, both of whom contested the 2022 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections while being jailed, have won their respective seats, official results showed. Khan, a former Uttar Pradesh cabinet minister and nine-term MLA, registered victory against nearest rival Akash Saxena (Honey) of the BJP from Rampur seat by a margin of over 55,000 votes, the Election Commission website showed. Khan got 1.31 lakh (or 59.71 per cent) of the total votes counted while Saxena polled 76,084 (or 34.62 per cent) votes, according to the EC. --PTI

While a few 'bahubalis' managed wins in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, a majority of them were rejected by the voters. According to the results, many alleged dons-turned-politicians failed to make it to the Uttar Pradesh Assembly. These include Dhananjay Singh (Malhani), Vijay Mishra (Gyanpur), Yash Bhadra Singh Monu (Isauli) and Amarmani Tripathi (Nautanwa), son of Purvanchal strongman Yatra Amanmani Tripathi, who is sentenced to life imprisonment. However, on the other hand, Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiya (Kunda) and Abhay Singh (Gosaiganj) managed to win. --PTI

Most of the turncoats failed to win their seats in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections that witnessed the BJP sweeping to power for a second consecutive term. The BJP and its allied parties won 273 out of 403 Assembly seats while the Samajwadi Party-led coalition clinched 125 seats. Of the 21 turncoats, only four could win the polls. Nine of the them were fielded by the BJP and 10 by the Samajwadi Party (SP). Among the prominent losers were former UP ministers Dharam Singh Saini and Swami Prasad Maurya, who had joined the SP just ahead of the polls; and former Bareilly mayor Supriya Aron.

A Samajwadi Party candidate, who went extra-vigilant ahead of counting of votes and kept an eye on the local election office through binoculars, has lost the Uttar Pradesh assembly poll, official results showed. Yogesh Verma of the SP contested from Hastinapur constituency in western UP's Meerut district where he lost to BJP's Dinesh Khatik, the sitting MLA, by a margin of 7,312 votes, the Election Commission (EC) website showed. Verma got 1 lakh (43.55 per cent) of the total votes counted while Khatik polled in 1.07 lakh (46.72 per cent) votes, the EC data showed. --PTI

Reacting to the Bahujan Samaj Party’s (BSP) performance in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly Polls where it won only 1 of the 403 seats, Mayawati said that even the Dalits voted for the BJP as they feared a return of the Samajwadi Party’s jungle raj.

Trounced in the assembly polls, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya on Friday said he is worker of the BJP, and will do whatever the party tells him to do. Maurya lost the assembly poll contest in Sirathu to Samajwadi Party's Pallavi Patel by 7,337 votes. While Maurya polled 98,941 votes, Patel, the elder sister of Union minister Anupriya Patel, got 1,06,278 votes.    

"I am a worker of the party, and will do whatever the party tells me to do," Maurya told PTI. "With all humility, I accept the mandate of the people of Sirathu assembly constituency. I am thankful to each and every party worker and also express my gratitude towards the voters, who have voted for me. It is a happy moment for us that the BJP has formed the government once again due to the policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Uttar Pradesh and in three other states." (PTI)

A BJP MLA, who was seen doing sit-ups and giving a massage to a voter during the Uttar Pradesh Assembly poll campaigns, has retained his seat, official results showed. Bhupesh Chaubey from Robertsganj constituency in Sonbhadra district secured 84,496 (or 40.29 per cent) of the total votes counted, defeating his nearest rival, Avinash Kushwaha of the Samajwadi Party (SP) by over 5,600 votes, according to the Election Commission website.     

Kushwaha got 78,875 (or 37.61 per cent) of the total 2.09 lakh votes that were counted on the seat, according to the Election Commission. A total of 10 candidates were in the fray for the Assembly poll from Robertsganj, including Chaubey, who had won the constituency election in 2017 to become a first-time MLA.     

The 47-year-old BJP MLA had hogged the limelight during poll campaigns after he was seen doing sit-ups holding his ears from the stage of an election rally, in a bid to seek 'forgiveness' of the voters of his constituency. (PTI)

Voters have sent 36 Muslim candidates to the 18th Uttar Pradesh Assembly compared to 24 in the previous Assembly polls. The newly elected MLAs account for 8.93% of the total 403 legislators in a state with 19% of the Muslim population. Among the prominent Muslim MLAs were Azam Khan, his son Abdullah Azam Khan, jailed-gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari’s son Abbas, and nephew Suhaib.

In Rampur, jailed SP leader Azam Khan won the seat after securing 1,21,755 votes, while BJP’s Akash Saxena was a distant second with 56,368 votes. Read more

The Uttar Pradesh cabinet on Friday will hold their last cabinet meeting of the first tenure of the BJP government at 5 pm in Lucknow. (ANI)

Samajwadi Party’s Kanpur vice-president Narendra Singh alias ‘Pintu’ (55) allegedly attempted suicide by setting himself ablaze outside the Vidhan Bhawan in Lucknow on Thursday after his party lost the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly election to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). SP’s Kanpur district president Dr Imran said that Narendra Singh took the step because he felt the party lost the state Legislative Assembly election to the BJP due to irregularities in electronic voting machines (EVM).

The BSP reduced to just one seat in Uttar Pradesh and the sole winner is a sitting MLA from Rasra Assembly seat in Ballia district — Uma Shankar Singh. Asked about his lone victory and the downfall of the BSP, Singh said the party would review the performance after the counting. But, it’s worth noticing that the BSP had got less seats even in 2017, but its vote share was 1.9 per cent higher than the SP, which has now dipped far lower than the latter. Singh won the seat for a third consecutive term. Earlier he had won the seat in 2012 and 2017 despite all odds. Read more

Reacting to the Bahujan Samaj Party’s (BSP) performance in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly Polls where it won only 1 of the 403 seats, Mayawati said that even the Dalits voted for the BJP as they feared a return of the Samajwadi Party’s jungle raj.

Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias ‘Raja Bhaiya’s newly formed Jansatta Dal Loktantrik Party clinched two seats in its maiden election after the results of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections were announced on Thursday evening. The party’s national president Singh (52)  was re-elected from Kunda in Pratapgarh district after he defeated his former close aide and Samajwadi Party candidate Gulshan Yadav (38). The six-time MLA secured 99,612 votes, while Yadav stood at the second spot by bagging 69,297 votes. Before 2022, he had contested as an independent candidate for five consecutive polls. The BJP had fielded Sindhuja Mishra Senani in the constituency. Read more

Out of the nine Assembly seats in Capital Lucknow, BJP won seven – only a seat less than its 2017 poll tally. The Samajwadi Party, which at one point of time was leading in three seats, manage to win only two, bettering its 2017 tally by only one seat. BJP minister Ashutosh Tandon ‘Gopal Ji’ won with the highest margin of 68,731 votes in Lucknow East — a seat held by the BJP for long.

BJP’s Rajeshwar Singh, the former joint director of Enforcement Directorate who took voluntary retirement just ahead of the election, won from Sarojini Nagar, defeating his SP rival Abhishek Mishra by over 56,000 votes. Read more

1. Law & order

Despite criticism of rights violation, the UP government was able to successfully project its crackdown on the mafia and the killing of criminals in police encounters as a sign of better law and order. In poll rallies, CM Adityanath and Union Home Minister Amit Shah have claimed a sharp drop in crimes such as murders, kidnapping and rapes over the past five years.

Even as the Samajwadi Party (SP) only came in second to the BJP in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly election, the SP’s western UP ally, the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), emerged with a crucial performance. RLD fielded candidates in 33 seats in alliance with SP, and managed to win eight seats. As per Election Commission (EC) figures till 8 pm, the RLD had nearly 3 per cent vote share. It has also emerged as the fourth largest party in the state ahead of Congress and BSP.

Bipolar fight: It was clear from the beginning that the election would be between the BJP and the Samajwadi Party, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath targeting the SP and Akhilesh Yadav by referring to “mafiawaad”, “gundagardi by laal topiwalahs”, and “appeasement of one community” (Muslims). As the results show, voters too made their choice between the BJP and the SP (or their respective allies), largely ignoring the BSP and the Congress.

BSP leader on Friday said that negative campaigning led to the belief that the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) was the BJP's B-team. 'Negative campaigns succeeded in misleading... that BSP is BJP's B-team... while the truth is opposite, BJP vs BSP war was not only political but principled & electoral as well,' she said.

#WATCH | 'Negative campaigns succeeded in misleading... that BSP is BJP's B-team... while the truth is opposite, BJP vs BSP war was not only political but principled & electoral as well,' says BSP chief Mayawati pic.twitter.com/SE9Jc6e0UU

— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) March 11, 2022

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader Mayawati on Friday said that the results of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections was a ‘lesson’ for the party. BSP had managed to secure only one vote. “UP election results are opposed to BSP’s expectations. We should not be discouraged by it. Instead we should learn form it, introspect and carry forward our party movement, and come back to power,” she was quoted as saying by ANI. 

Bahujan Samaj Party's (BSP) chief Mayawati on Friday said that the results of the UP Assembly elections in 2022 was a lesson for the party to continue putting in efforts. "Before 2017, BJP did not have a good stake in Uttar Pradesh. Likewise today, Congress also undergoing the same phase as BJP...UP election result is a lesson for us to continue putting in efforts," she said. (ANI)

As the BJP won Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath was set to make history as the first Chief Minister to return to power in the state after a five-year term. It is also the first time a party has come back to power in UP since 1985. His influence restricted to a small region around the Gorakhpur Mutt, of which he was the head priest, apart from him being a five-time MP from the Gorakhpur seat, Adityanath was a surprise pick as CM by the BJP central leadership five years back.

The circumstances of his crowning, amid talk of the BJP hand being forced, are now long forgotten. Today, Adityanath, just 49, is the most-talked-about CM in the country, one of the BJP’s prime campaigners beyond UP, and a leader who has risen above the party in the state to cast it in his image. Many of the controversial decisions taken by his government went on to be adopted by other states, like his anti-conversion law. Other such decisions the Adityanath government pressed on with, despite controversy were the crackdown on illegal slaughterhouses, introduction of anti-Romeo squads, action against land mafia, and recovery notices issued to anti-CAA protesters. Lalmani Verma writes

The wheels of Mandal turn slower and slower. One of the key takeaways from the BJP’s victories in four states, and particularly in the crucial battleground of Uttar Pradesh, is this: Of the two ambitious political projects that were launched almost simultaneously in the politically turbulent 1990s, Mandal and Mandir, while the second is on its way towards achieving its aim of forging a national community that transcends faultlines of caste, class and region, the first has fragmented, its egalitarian charge more and more dissipated.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Friday morning thanked voters for increasing the seats and vote share of his party in the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. “We have shown that BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) seats can be reduced. This reduction of BJP will continue unabated,” Yadav tweeted.

The return of Yogi Adityanath as Chief Minister in Uttar Pradesh after a full five-year term not only marks a watershed in the state’s political history but, along with the BJP’s victory in three other states, upends the party’s national trend of losses in states after Narendra Modi took charge at the Centre in 2014. In effect, it secures for the party the pole position in national politics based on electoral affirmation for its governance record. Since 2014, the BJP has lost its incumbent governments in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Jharkhand while scraping through in Haryana. It did cobble up numbers in Madhya Pradesh, overturning the Kamal Nath-led Congress government in 2020. 

“Uttar Pradesh has given a mandate to the BJP in 2014, 2017, and 2019. It is historic since 1985 and the thread we can weave into this is the victory of the new narrative of development, welfare, youth opportunity without discrimination, safety and security and law and order. It proves the trust the party has built-in which forced the pro-incumbency wave,” said Rajeev Chandrasekhar, who was part of the BJP’s campaign strategy scheme. Liz Mathew reports

Even as the BJP returned to power in Uttar Pradesh with a thumping win, the party lost some of its big names, including its Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya and some prominent ministers. Maurya lost to Pallavi Patel, the Apna Dal (Kamerawadi) leader who fought on an SP ticket, in Sirathu. He lost by 7,337 votes. Sirathu, which comes under the Phulpur Lok Sabha constituency, was once by Sonelal Patel, Pallavi’s father. 

Maurya, an important OBC face of the party, has been closely associated with the RSS. He won his first Assembly elections in 2012 and went on to become an MP from Phoolpur and a minister in the Union Cabinet. Amil Bhatnagar writes

In the end, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav did not prove up to what was always going to be a Herculean task.

However, the 48-year-old, who took over the mantle from SP patron and his father Mulayam Singh Yadav, put up the only challenge to the BJP, drawing crowds, shutting out in-house family squabbling contenders, and putting some distance between himself and the “goondaism” baggage of his last government.

Pitted in a head-on fight with the BJP, the SP increased its seat tally and its vote share by 11%, but fell way short of the half-way mark of 202. In 2017, when it fought in alliance with the Congress, the SP had won 47 seats, with a vote share of 21.28%. This time, it was set to win 111, with a vote share of 32%.

Till late in the evening, there was no reaction from Akhilesh to the poll results. In a tweet, the official handle of the SP, which has been alleging poll irregularities, asked why the Election Commission was not handing its candidates their victory certificates. Read Asad Rehman's report

Following its stupendous performance in the 2007 Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls when it formed the government on its own, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) was seen as a beacon of hope for Dalit politics on the national stage and it was even speculated that party president Mayawati would one day become the Prime Minister. The party, which has been consistently putting up a poor show since 2012, managed to win only one seat in the 403-member Assembly on Thursday.

Not only has the party been reduced to just one seat in a 403-seat state assembly, its vote share stands at a miserable 12.8%. The party contested on all 403 seats. Notably, in 1993, when the party began its political innings, it won 67 out 164 seats it contested and its vote share stood at 11.2%.

Even at its worst, party has never got less than 19% votes in the state. In the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, when not a single candidate of the party could win in the state, BSP had a vote share of 19.77%. Read Deeptiman Tiwary's report

As the BJP won Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath was set to make history as the first Chief Minister to return to power in the state after a five-year term. It is also the first time a party has come back to power in UP since 1985. His influence restricted to a small region around the Gorakhpur Mutt, of which he was the head priest, apart from him being a five-time MP from the Gorakhpur seat, Adityanath was a surprise pick as CM by the BJP central leadership five years back.

The circumstances of his crowning, amid talk of the BJP hand being forced, are now long forgotten. Today, Adityanath, just 49, is the most-talked-about CM in the country, one of the BJP’s prime campaigners beyond UP, and a leader who has risen above the party in the state to cast it in his image. Many of the controversial decisions taken by his government went on to be adopted by other states, like his anti-conversion law. Other such decisions the Adityanath government pressed on with, despite controversy were the crackdown on illegal slaughterhouses, introduction of anti-Romeo squads, action against land mafia, and recovery notices issued to anti-CAA protesters. Read Lalmani Verma's report

The BJP has swept eight seats in the National Capital Region of Uttar Pradesh — Noida, Dadri, Jewar, Loni, Muradnagar, Sahiba-bad, Ghaziabad, and Modi Nagar.

In six of the eight seats, BJP candidates secured over 50% votes, signifying a clear wave in support of the party in NCR. The Samajwadi Party-Rashtriya Lok Dal alliance failed to garner sufficient votes and came second in all eight seats.

In Noida, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s son Pankaj Singh won by a record margin — polling 70% of the votes (2,44,319) votes in his favour — and defeating SP’s Sunil Choudhary, who secured 62,806 votes. Congress candidate Pankhuri Pathak came a distant third with 13,494 votes. Read Abhinav Rajput's report

The wheels of Mandal turn slower and slower. One of the key takeaways from the BJP’s victories in four states, and particularly in the crucial battleground of Uttar Pradesh, is this: Of the two ambitious political projects that were launched almost simultaneously in the politically turbulent 1990s, Mandal and Mandir, while the second is on its way towards achieving its aim of forging a national community that transcends faultlines of caste, class and region, the first has fragmented, its egalitarian charge more and more dissipated.

Mandal politics had helped parties like the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party to carve out spaces and come into their own. More broadly, it had held out a larger promise in a society of raging inequalities. “Social justice” was to be far more radical and transformative than mere alternation of castes in power, or even the replacement of upper caste dominance by that of backward castes, or of a particular backward caste.

The idea and politics of social justice was intended to forge larger empathies and solidarities based on the constitutional promise of equality. That Mandal politics is now seen, in large sections of even its homeground, UP, as casteist and divisive, is proof not just of the BJP’s narrative dominance, but of the many critical failures of Mandal’s own flagbearers. Read Vandita Mishra's report

Uttar Pradesh Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya has lost elections from Sirathu.

Several big-wigs of parties like the BJP, BSP, SP and the Congress bit dust in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, the results of which were declared on Thursday. Some of them are:

Suresh Rana (BJP): Sitting MLA and the minister in charge of sugarcane development and sugar mills Suresh Rana lost the election to RLD’s Ashraf Ali in Thana Bhawan. The constituency, which has a mix of Jat, Gurjar and Muslim population, favoured the alliance candidate with a margin of more than 13,000 votes. Rana faced anti-incumbency sentiment while looking to repeat MLA term for the third time. He was also one of the accused in the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots.

Locals in the area alleged that the ruling party did not deliver payment of sugarcane dues in the manner which was promised. Several people held Rana responsible for pending payments and exploitative actions of local mills. Ashraf Ali came close to winning in 2012 when he lost by merely 265 votes to Rana. Read More

As the BJP won Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath was set to make history as the first Chief Minister to return to power in the state after a five-year term. It is also the first time a party has come back to power in UP since 1985.

His influence restricted to a small region around the Gorakhpur Mutt, of which he was the head priest, apart from him being a five-time MP from the Gorakhpur seat, Adityanath was a surprise pick as CM by the BJP central leadership five years back.

The circumstances of his crowning, amid talk of the BJP hand being forced, are now long forgotten. Today, Adityanath, just 49, is the most-talked-about CM in the country, one of the BJP’s prime campaigners beyond UP, and a leader who has risen above the party in the state to cast it in his image. Read More

People expect our government to act against the corrupt but some are out to protect them by attacking institutions acting independently, said PM Modi during his victory speech at the BJP HQ in Delhi.

This verdict is a guarantee of India's bright future, said PM Modi as he once again thanked the people for their mandate.

Raising the issue of corruption, Modi asks, "Should corruption be eradicated or not? Should the corrupt people be punished or not? In 2014, we promised a clean government. And people trust us to come good on that promise. Should I fulfill this promise or not?"

"But when we act against the corrupt, some people and their whole ecosystem try to pressure and smear the central investigative agencies. These people don't trust our courts either," he adds.

Sharing some of his concerns, Modi hits out at the Opposition and says, "Indian citizens are acting responsibly but some people are constantly pulling down the standards in politics, During the Covid times, these sections tried to mislead people. When our students were stuck in Ukraine, these sections were trying to demoralise our people."

"These people tried to tie up Operation Ganga to regionalism. These efforts to paint everything in colours of communalism, regionalism is very dangerous," he adds.

In the wake of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis, Modi said India believes in resolving disputes through talks. "India has deep economic ties to the two nations engaged in war. This war has blown up prices of petrol, cooking oil and other commodities. Amid this global crisis, if you look at our Budget, it gives the confidence that India is on the path of atma-nirbharta," he says.

The supply chain worldwide has been affected by Covid-19 and now the Russia-Ukraine war. Amid all this, honest efforts by the government and policies linked to ground realities kept India safe, says Modi and adds: "Everywhere the double-engine government is in power, people have reaped double benefits."

"I would also like to praise the Punjab BJP workers, who worked under adverse circumstances. I am sure in the coming years, BJP will emerge as a major force in Punjab. It is a border state, and so BJP workers in Punjab will make sure separatist sentiments don't take root there," says Modi.

UP chose 'vikas', proved wrong all who said it votes for caste, says PM Modi at the victory speech following BJP's spectacular performance in UP, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur.

Sisters, mothers and daughters have been benevolent towards us. Everywhere, women vote share was larger than men and the BJP has secured a bumper win. Women have been the charioteers of our win, says Modi.

"As a CM, people would ask me, 'Modiji, why are you lax about your own security.' I would tell them, I have the protection of my mothers wishing well for me," adds Modi.

I have dared to do something probably no one would. This was done in my Independence Day speech at the Red Fort when I said we will aim for 100% saturation in delivery of services to the poor, Modi says

"I know how difficult this is, since I have been in governance for over two decades. But I dared to make this declaration because honesty and karuna (sympathy) for the poor can make this happen," he added.

A CM who finished a full-term in UP has been voted back to power. After 38 years, a party has returned to power. In all other states, we have increased our vote share. In Goa, the people trusted us for the third time. We were in power for 10 years, yet we won more seats this time. In Uttarakhand too, we made history. This for the first time that a party has returned to power in that state, Modi says.

I would like to thank our voters, specially our mothers and sisters, and first-time voters, for ensuring our victory.  Partyworkers had promised me Holi celebrations would begin from March 10. Now, with this win, they have met the promise, says PM Modi at victory speech.

This is for the first time in 35 years that a party has been sworn in for the second time. In Uttarakhand too, governments alternated each time, but for the first time now, BJP is returning to power, Nadda says.

Results a stamp of approval on our policies. I would like to thank PM Modi for his leadership. Results have many firsts, and give some pointers regarding nation's politics. UP has once again shown confidence in BJP after 2014, 2017 and 2019, and now for the fourth straight time, says party president JP Nadda, while addressing BJP workers at the party HQ in Delhi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives at BJP Headquarters in Delhi. The party emerged victorious in Goa, Manipur, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh. #AssemblyElections2022 pic.twitter.com/UjjAX4bjX7

— ANI (@ANI) March 10, 2022

Prime Minister Narendra Modi receives a rousing welcome at the BJP headquarters in Delhi.

Victory celebrations at party headquarters on BJP's landslide victory in Assembly Elections 2022.
https://t.co/7ycL0nUo6s

— BJP (@BJP4India) March 10, 2022

BJP workers sport toy bulldozers as celebrations continue at party office in Lucknow.

BJP workers sport toy bulldozers as celebrations continue at party office in Lucknow. The party swept #UttarPradesh Elections. pic.twitter.com/5jsjVBvBHZ

— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) March 10, 2022

Following BJP's spectacular performance in UP, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to address party workers at its headquarters in Delhi shortly.

Following Congress' dismal performance in Uttar Pradesh, senior leader Priyanka Gandhi said the party was not able to convert its hard work into votes. She added that the Congress party will move ahead with a positive agenda and work as a responsible opposition for the betterment of UP and it's people.

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— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) March 10, 2022

In the end, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav did not prove up to what was always going to be a Herculean task.

However, the 48-year-old, who took over the mantle from his formidable SP patron and father Mulayam Singh Yadav, put up the only challenge to the BJP, drawing crowds, shutting out in-house family squabbling contenders, and trying to distance himself from the “goondaism” baggage of his last government.

One of the biggest decisions taken by him, after tasting defeat in the 2017 Assembly and 2019 Lok Sabha elections, was not to align with former partners Congress and BSP. This time, Akhilesh made more strategic allies, smaller than the SP and bringing to his table tightly knit, calculated votes. These included Om Prakash Rajbhar’s SBSP, Mahan Dal led by Keshav Dev Maurya, Janwadi Party (Socialist) led by Sanjay Singh Chauhan, Shivpal Yadav’s Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia), Apna Dal-Kamerawadi led by Union Minister Anupriya Patel’s mother Krishna Patel, and most importantly the RLD in western UP. Read More

Union Home Minister and BJP leader Amit Shah Thursday congratulated the CM of Uttar Pradesh and also thanked the voters for reposing their faith in the BJP.

????? ????? ?? ?????????? ?? ?????? ?? ??????? ?? ??-?? ?? ???????? ???? ????? ????? ????????????, ?????? ??????? ???? @swatantrabjp ?? ???? @BJP4UP ???? ?? ?? ???? ??? ?? ???? ???? ????

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— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) March 10, 2022

"Everyone had their eyes on UP, given the vastness of the state. I am thankful to the people for making us win with majority. Under PM Modi's leadership, we will be forming governments in UP, Goa, Manipur, and Uttarakhand," Yogi says in his victory speech.

Thanking the public, PM Modi and other minister, Yogi termed the mandate as one for nationalism, development and good governance. Addressing party workers, he said the double-engine government gave UP a secure environment, worked on schemes for the poor under PM Modi's guidance. 

CM Yogi Adityanath and other BJP leaders play holi, celebrate and greet party workers at the party office in Lucknow.

#WATCH | CM Yogi Adityanath and other BJP leaders play holi, celebrate and greet party workers at the party office in Lucknow.#UttarPradeshElections pic.twitter.com/DDaXwjSNAx

— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) March 10, 2022

Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra led the party's campaign in the assembly elections in five states but failed to work their magic at the hustings with political observers saying the "huge setback" has left their "brand value diminished".

Congress general secretary in-charge Uttar Pradesh Priyanka Gandhi addressed 209 rallies and roadshows, the maximum by any top leader during the UP election campaign, followed closely by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath who spoke at 203 poll events.

Though Priyanka Gandhi was focussed on Uttar Pradesh, she also campaigned for the polls in Uttarakhand, Goa, Manipur and Punjab. Rahul Gandhi also held several rallies in Punjab, Goa, Manipur, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh. While acknowledging that Priyanka Gandhi did hard work in UP and raised important issues of women, political analysts said it failed to click with the electorate. Her campaign events drew large crowds, but she failed to win their votes. (PTI)