The winners and losers of the assembly elections 2017...
Here's a quick look at the winners and losers of the Assembly Elections 2017 Poll results, from shocking victories, like the landslide win of BJP in Uttar Pradesh and Congress in Punjab, to the unexpected losses of the likes of Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati.
1. BJP: The biggest winner
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The victor in two states (Uttar Pradesh & Uttarakhand) and close second in Manipur and Goa, BJP is the biggest winner of 2017. This can probably be attributed to Prime Minister Modi and party chief Amit Shah as well. The elections proved that the people approved of his controversial demonetization move. Image courtesy: PTI
2. Amit Shah predicted the BJP surge
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BJP President Amit Shah in February asserted that his party would win at least 90 seats in the first two phases of Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, whether he predicted this landslide victory, one can't say for sure, but he was certain that they had a lot of potential to win. Image courtesy: Reuters
3. Samajwadi Party
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In a rather unexpected situation, SP lost big in Uttar Pradesh. Unlike the mantra they tried to reinforce, 'Cycle ko haath pasand hai.... UP ko saath pasand (NAHI) hai'! While the Akhilesh Yadav- Rahul Gandhi duo looked confident until a day before the results, they failed to live up to expectations.
The in-fighting in the Yadav Pari-war may have disillusioned many about the Samajwadi Party.
(In Picture: Dejected Indian Samajwadi Party supporters sit at their party offices as they discuss the partys poor performances in the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections in Lucknow.) Image courtesy: AFP
4. Congress' Amarinder Singh
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Although the loss in UP may have come as a big blow to Congress, Captain Amarinder led them to victory in Punjab, proving that not all of Congress is a disappointment. The party has won Punjab after a long battle with Shiromani Akali Dal's Parkash Singh Badal, who have ruled that state since 2007.
The Congressman probably considers this the best 75th birthday gift, which he celebrated on March 11. Image courtesy: PTI
5. BSP, the biggest loser
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Mayawati, whose Bahujan Samaj Party, was thought to fair well has failed miserably in both Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand state elections. It seems brand Mayawati has declined, since she failed to expand the party's footprint beyond Uttar Pradesh, then lost to Akhilesh in the 2012 elections and now to BJP.
However, she did garner a 25% vote share this assembly elections. Image courtesy: PTI
6. Aam Aadmi Party
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The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which contested assembly elections in Goa and Punjab for the first time, came second in Punjab and was nowhere to be seen in Goa.
(In Picture: Red carpet and decorative balloons are seen outside the residence of Delhi Chief Minister, head of AAP, Arvind Kejriwal in New Delhi on March 11, 2017.) Image courtesy: AFP
