POLITICS

Bhagwant Mann, the party's pick for the top post, is all set to become the next Chief Minister. The ruling Congress, which won 77 seats in 2017, managed to win only 18 seats with most of its stalwart faces like Chief Minister Charanjit Channi and state party chief Navjot Singh Sidhu faced humiliating defeat from their respective strongholds.

In a series of tweets, Shah said, "The BJP's grand victory in Uttar Pradesh is the victory of the unshakeable faith of village, the poor and farmers in Prime Minister Modi's welfare for the poor. Voters have re-affirmed in Yogi Adityanath government's fearless and corruption free governance. I thank people from the bottom of my heart for this massive victory."

Both the parties are now focusing on the post-poll scenario as the state seems headed for a hung assembly. The BJP has made staunch Hindutva leader C.T. Ravi the party's National General Secretary in-charge of Goa while the Congress has made party loyalist Dinesh Gundu Rao the All India Congress Committee (AICC) Goa in-charge.

The Samajwadi Party-Rashtriya Lok Dal alliance came a cropper in western UP, upsetting all calculations. According to sources, one of the main reasons for the below expectation performance of the alliance in an area that was the focal point of the famers' agitation against the ruling BJP, was faulty candidate selection and swapping of candidates.

In 2021, during the peak of the farmers' protest on October 4, Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Teni's son mowed down half a dozen people under his car, including four farmers protesting against the now repealed three contentious farm laws. It was widely perceived that the farmers' anger would cost the BJP electorally in the district and to some extent in western Uttar Pradesh.

"Three independent candidates have extended support to the BJP. We had said yesterday that even if we win 21 seats, we will take some more people along with us. In keeping with the assurance, these three independents and the MGP have given letters of support to the BJP. They are going to be with us. We are thankful to the MGP and the three candidates and we will form a government with a good majority of 25," he said.

The party activists could be seen dancing, bursting crackers and congratulating each other. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP natioanl president J. P. Nadda are likely to reach the party headquarters late in the evening and thank the people. Senior leaders of the party have been visiting the party headquarters.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami lost to Congress candidate Bhuvan Chand Kapri in Khatima constituency. Kapdi bagged 52 per cent (44,479) votes while Dhami secured 37,425 votes. In Lalkuan constituency, former chief minister and senior Congress leader Harish Rawat lost to BJP's Mohan Singh Bisht by 14,000 votes.

It was not just a simple victory. In fact, the AAP trounced the 2022 Assembly polls this time by winning over 90 seats in the 117-seat Punjab Assembly. It is the first time that the party has expanded its political footprint beyond Delhi. But how was a 9-year-old party able to achieve this momentous feat?

The opposition was quick to use the incident as an example of 'law-and-order' situation in the state. However, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath promptly handed over the case to the CBI and gave compensation and a job to Gupta's widow. The matter died a natural death, and Gorakhpur has now given a clean sweep to the BJP with Adityanath winning his first Assembly election with an appreciable margin.