LS bypolls: 43% turnout in UP’s Gorakhpur; 38% in Phulpur; Bihar’s Araria records 57%
Polling in the by-elections to two Lok Sabha constituencies of Gorakhpur and Phulpur in Uttar Pradesh recorded a mere 43 and 38 percent respectively. The low turnout may not be music to ears to the ruling BJP, which was hoping to retain both seats with big margins.
Gorakhpur and Phulpur LS seats were vacated by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya.
Bypoll results to the two Lok Sabha seats will be a referendum on the performance of the BJP government. On the other hand, it will also test the voters' acceptance to the coming together of Opposition parties on the plank of defeating BJP ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
After 25 years, the SP and BSP came together during bypolls and the Congress, which contested bypolls separately, has also hinted at joining hands against the BJP ahead of general elections. It has already announced its support to the BSP candidate in Rajya Sabha polls.
After casting his vote in Gorakhpur, CM Adityanath said that people will vote BJP for its one year of good governance in the state. The CM exuded confidence that the BJP will retain both the seats with comfortable margin.
"People will reject the SP-BSP alliance in the bypolls as it was an opportunistic alliance. BJP is not worried even if the Congress also joins this unholy alliance. People will reject them too," said Yogi Adityanath.
"People had rejected both Babuas (Akhilesh Yadav and Rahul Gandhi) in 2017 Assembly polls. Mayawati will also face similar fate in by-polls," predicted the Chief Minister.
Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav, who got a shot in the arm after BSP, RLD, Left and smaller parties announced support to his party candidates against the BJP in the bypolls said that unprecedented opposition unity on Sunday during election has written a new history in Uttar Pradesh.
"The results of the bypolls will bring a revolution in state politics and will go a long way in changing political equations and future of Uttar Pradesh," claimed Yadav.
Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya rejected opposition's claims and said the unholy SP-BSP alliance will have no impact on the winning spree of the BJP.
"The Opposition's tall claims were only to confuse voters. There would be no transfer of BSP votes to Samajwadi Party candidates as the BSP vote-bank has already shifted to the BJP," claimed Maurya.
Amid claims and counter claims, poll pundits are fingers-crossed over the results the bypolls will throw up on March 14 following the low voter turnout and Opposition unity. The BJP may retain both the seats, but doubts are being raised over victory margin, which will be enough for the opposition parties to up the ante against it ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
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