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Lok Sabha Election Results 2019: Uttar Pradesh alliance math turns into myth

Large draws at SP-BSP rallies had raised Mayawati’s expectations, until results showed the BJP had silently done its homework

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BJP won in 62 (64 including allies) of 80 constituencies in Uttar Pradesh. While the BSP got 10 seats, its partner SP could manage only five
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The caste maths by the Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party in Uttar Pradesh had given the two parties the impression that it was a master stroke. So strong was their belief that BSP chief Mayawati had given hints of playing a big role at the national level.

However, the dreams got shattered after BJP grabbed 62 (64 with allies) of 80 seats in the state in the Lok Sabha polls. The Mahagathbandhan was halted at a mere 15 seats, while the Congress had to contend with just one.

Rameshwar Prasad Chaurasiya, co-incharge for BJP in UP, said they were aware that the SP-BSP combine to spark caste-based politics. Caste plays a pivotal role during elections in UP, especially after Mandal Commission unrest.

While the use of caste to garner votes has reached a saturation point, Chaurasiya said, they had started specific 'sammelans' catering to different communities. "We had organised Paswan sammelan, Valmiki sammelan and tried to target the non Yadav OBCs which stood at high 32 per cent. In places where the Muslims, Dalits and Yadavs came together the BSP and SP candidate had a lead, this happened in Amroha, Rampur and other seats," he said.

The Congress agreed that the caste factor worked but didn't want to elaborate. Senior Congress leader from Uttar Pradesh Pramod Tiwari said that whatever party president Rahul Gandhi had said after the results were the official comment and that they would speak anything beyond that. Contrary to a seemingly high-voltage social media campaign, the party could win only 52 seats across the country against BJP's national tally of 302.

According to Chaurasiya, they even targeted the floating Yadav votes who are considered to be loyal to the Samajwadi Party. However, last elections the BJP had almost a clean sweep in the Purvanchal belt, but this time they lost few important seats here, including that of Ghazipur where minister Manoj Sinha lost the seat. Here the BSP won the seat, while the Congress managed to get 19,834 votes too. Even in Jaunpur, the Congress got 27,185 votes where BJP lost the seat again to BSP.

Ram Pratap Singh, the SP spokesperson whether the caste factor worked in their favour and also whether Congress helped the Mahagathbandhan in Purvanchal, he said, "We are analyzing the results, on all these aspects and the only post this could we be able to give a clear response."

According to Chaurasiya, they focused on the other OBCs who also came along with them because of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his work. "The Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, the LPG and toilets for villagers helped us a lot. Also, in every booth we had around 150 partymen working tirelessly for the party. The moment they would realise the voting was falling they personally went out and got voters to the polling booth, they worked hard and reached all of the communities," he said.

What may have worked further in UP, Chaurasiya said, is the cleansing of the system, especially that of the goonda raj being curbed, which brought peace in the state under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. "Many voters even those from the Yadav community loved the peace that was instilled in the state and this worked in our favour."

HOW BJP WON UP

  • Rameshwar Prasad Chaurasiya, BJP’s co-incharge for UP said they planned outreach efforts for various communities
     
  • The BJP even targeted the floating Yadav votes that traditionally had gone to the Samajwadi Party
     
  • The party focused on OBCs who reposed trust in the BJP because of PM Modi’s work
     
  • Chaurasiya said mega schemes like Ujjala, toilets in villages  gave the BJP a distinct advantage over SP-BSP
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