As the counting of votes for the Lok Sabha election results continue, early trends indicate a significant challenge for the BJP in Uttar Pradesh. By noon, the INDIA alliance, comprising the Samajwadi Party and Congress, was leading in 42 out of the 80 seats, while the NDA was ahead in 37.
This marks a stark contrast to the BJP’s previous performances in 2014 and 2019, where the party secured 71 and 62 seats, respectively. Despite exit polls predicting another BJP sweep, current trends suggest a different outcome, emphasizing that exit polls are not always accurate.
Ram Mandir’s Impact
One of the major topics of discussion this election was the construction of the grand Ram temple in Ayodhya, a long-standing BJP promise. However, early trends show that this did not significantly influence the voters in Faizabad, where the Samajwadi Party’s Awadesh Prasad is leading against BJP’s Lallu Singh by over 4,000 votes. In surrounding constituencies, the BJP is leading in only two (Gonda and Kaiserganj), while the Congress and Samajwadi Party are ahead in the remaining five (Amethi, Barabanki, Sultanpur, Ambednagar, and Basti).
Akhilesh Yadav and Rahul Gandhi’s Alliance
Akhilesh Yadav and Rahul Gandhi, who campaigned together in the 2017 Uttar Pradesh polls but faced a significant defeat, have joined forces again under the INDIA alliance. Their renewed partnership appears to be yielding better results, with the alliance leading in 42 seats, surpassing the NDA’s 37.
Absence of Mayawati’s BSP
The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), led by Mayawati, is known for its unpredictable performance. After a disappointing zero seats in 2014 and a strong comeback with 10 seats in 2019, the BSP chose to contest solo this election, while its former ally, the Samajwadi Party, aligned with Congress. So far, the BSP is not leading in any seat, signaling a potential rout. Notably, in the Nagina seat, Dalit leader Chandrashekhar Azad is leading, with the BSP trailing in fourth place. This indicates a possible shift in the Dalit voter base towards new leadership.
As vote counting continues, these early trends could still change the Lok Sabha election results, but they highlight significant shifts in Uttar Pradesh’s political landscape.