This is why Modi won Uttar Pradesh elections
Uttar Pradesh is seeing a wave that has surged beyond all imagination.
It’s a TsuNamo, super saffron Holi with the BJP leading in over 300 seats, and the SP-Congress alliance in 69 seats, while the BSP is a distant third, registering leads in barely 23 seats.
Despite having no CM face, this astounding performance by the BJP is all credit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the organisational skills of BJP national president Amit Shah. It seems to be a repeat of the Lok Sabha 2014 win, as the Namo surge defies gravity.
So what are the reasons that the mandate went to Modi in Uttar Pradesh?
Firstly, this more than handsome win is about forging a new post-caste politics, at least in electoral math and voting patterns. This is about moving beyond vote bank politics, and giving a consolidated mandate to Modi himself and what he stands for.
Secondly, Modi has emerged as a national figure who has managed to do something about corruption with his economically questionable but popular moves, such as demonetisation. Evidently, it has paid off as the middle classes have firmly supported the move, irrespective of the hardships that many faced after the November 8 announcement last year.
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| Uttar Pradesh is seeing a wave that has surged beyond all imagination. |
Thirdly, even though Bhaiya-mania was real, Akhilesh Yadav has lost this battle to Modi’s digital dreams. The saffron surge in Uttar Pradesh is less a rejection of Akhilesh as much as it is an embrace of Modi.
Though development agenda by Akhilesh had been well received, the falling out with Mulayam Singh Yadav ultimately cost the party a number of seats this time.
Fourthly, coalition politics has been rejected and the Congress in alliance with Samajwadi Party has not been accepted.
The mandate has been big and decisive for the BJP, as had been the case in Delhi in favour of AAP in 2015.
Fifthly, Modi spending time in Varanasi made a significant impact for the voters. It was about making the centre-state alignment and avoiding more conflict, as has been the case in many non-BJP ruled states in the recent past.
Finally, without a credible CM face, the mandate has been clearly about what the central government under Modi’s leadership wants to implement in Uttar Pradesh.
The numbers will be reflected in Rajya Sabha as well, with increased numbers in the upper house.
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