It is quite an alphabetical victory for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Uttar Pradesh.
It was 'Y, R and L' that helped the BJP break all obstacles and ride back to power with a more than comfortable majority in the municipal polls. Y, R and L, party sources claimed, are the three factors that have unleashed a pro-incumbency wave in the state in favour of the BJP, election after election.
"'Y' stands for Yogi Adityanath. He has acquired a cult status and is widely respected as a strict administrator and a compassionate leader. His popularity has been growing by the day and the crowds at his meetings clearly indicate that he is miles ahead of others in the campaign," said a party functionary even as the BJP office burst into celebrations following its wictory in the urban local body elections, reults of which were declared on Saturday.
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'R', the source said, stands for ration kits that were distributed for free among the poor. The ration kits endeared the BJP to the people and even created a new vote bank of beneficiaries that cut across caste and religion.
'L' , on the other hand, stood for law and order. The Yogi government's crackdown on the mafia and criminals created a sense of security among the people.
While some of Adityanath's Cabinet colleagues were seemingly apprehensive about a possible backlash from the minority community, following the killing of Atiq Ahmad and his brother Ashraf in police custody, the Chief Minister remained unrelenting and continued to act tough against the mafia.
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His tough action against the mafia, his no-nonsense approach towards the state administration and commitment to development became a magical combination of factors that led the BJP to another sweeping victory in the municipal polls.
The BJP's micro management at the organisation level also helped translate the people's mood into votes.
The Yogi magic was so potent that it helped camouflage minor failures of the government.
The credit for the BJP's overwhelming victory in the municipal polls goes entirely to Adityanath who carefully crafted the party's success story single-handedly.
Adityanath led the campaign himself and this time, there were no leaders from Delhi to pitch in with support.
The Chief Minister himself campaigned as aggressively in Karnataka as he did in UP.
From being a face of Hindutva to an able administrator, Adityanath is now the most charismatic campaigner in the BJP, this side of the Ganga, rather Sutlej.
