SP-led INDIA alliance makes major gains in U.P., BJP looses ground as high-profile candidates biting dust

Uttar Pradesh Lok Sabha election results: SP leads with 37 seats, BJP loses ground, Congress gains.

Uttar Pradesh, politically the most crucial State in the country, sprang a massive surprise in the Lok Sabha election with the Samajwadi Party (SP) heading towards victory on 37 of 63 seats it contested as part of the Opposition INDIA bloc, while its partner Congress is likely to win six of the 17 seats it fought.

As per Election Commission figures at 8 p.m., the Akhilesh Yadav-led SP emerged victorious on 18 seats and was leading on 19, while the Congress won four and was ahead on two seats. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party won 16 seats and was ahead on 16.

Many top BJP leaders including Union Minister Smriti Irani had to be content with defeat. Ms. Irani lost from Amethi where Congress candidate Kishori Lal won by 1,67,196 votes. Mr. Lal polled 5,39,228 votes against the Union Minister’s 3,72,032. On the other hand, there was good news for several top Opposition leaders including former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, who registered a landslide victory by almost 4,00,000 votes from Rae Bareli. Mr. Gandhi polled 6,87,649 votes against his nearest rival Dinesh Pratap Singh of the BJP who received 2,97,619.

Of the 62 Lok Sabha seats the BJP won from U.P. in 2019, it is likely to lose 27 to the SP and five to the Congress. Among other prominent leaders losing their seats were Union Minister Ajay Kumar Mishra from Kheri where SP candidate Utkarsh Verma ‘Madhur’ emerged victorious by 34,329 votes. In Sultanpur, former Union Minister Maneka Gandhi is on verge of defeat as she is trailing by over 40,000 votes against the SP candidate Rambhual Nishad. In Nagina, a newcomer contesting on his own symbol, Chandrashekhar of Aazad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) bested nearest rival Om Kumar of the BJP by over 1,50,000 votes.

Key BJP leaders who were able to register victories include Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Varanasi by 1,52,513 votes. Mr. Modi polled 6,12,970 votes against against Congress candidate Ajay Rai’s 4,60,457 votes. In Lucknow, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh emerged victorious by over 1,28,000 votes.

The Opposition INDIA bloc in U.P. led by SP president Mr. Yadav and Mr. Gandhi ran a high-pitched campaign focusing on issues such as unemployment, inflation and Caste Census, dubbing the 2024 election as one to save India’s democracy against authoritarian tendencies of the BJP. The BJP’s campaign revolved around the Ram Temple and nationalism.

The BJP engineered social coalitions with focus on the Other Backward Classes (OBCs), tying up with caste-centric sub-regional parties like the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) of Om Prakash Rajbhar, the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) of Jayant Chaudhry, Annupriya Patel’s Apna Dal (Sonelal), and Nishad party of Sanjay Nishad as it hoped to leave nothing to chance.