Yogi Adityanath, the most popular BJP leader after Prime Minister Modi, is a star campaigner for the party. He is deployed by the party for campaigning in the assembly elections in the Hindi heartland as well as in Western states because he can bag votes for BJP candidates across the country. In Bihar, too, BJP utilized the popularity of the UP CM as he did 18 rallies in a short period of 6 days. And, most importantly, BJP won most of the seats on which the saffron-clad leader campaigned for the party.
In the first phase of the election, Yogi Adityanath addressed 6 rallies- all of which BJP lost in the last election. In 2020, the party won 3 out of 6 seats. In total, the CM of UP campaigned on 18 seats- all of which looked a tough contest for NDA- and the alliance won on 10 of these seats.
Yogi Adityanath is very popular in Bihar. Gorakhnath Math, of which Yogi is chief priest, has a huge following in Western Bihar districts adjoining the state of Uttar Pradesh. Apart from that, Yogi’s handling of administration and economy has been highly appreciated by the people across the country. Therefore, Yogi can win elections not only in UP but in Bihar, Jharkhand and whole north India.
RJD was expected to perform excellently in the Mithilanchal region of the state- comprises Seemanchal, Kosi, and Mithila sub-region- which is dominated by the Muslims and Yadavs- the traditional vote bank of Congress and RJD. But, the campaign by Prime Minister Modi and Yogi Adityanath successfully consolidated the Hindu votes in the region and the Muslim vote was divided between the fragmented opposition, which led to the victory of NDA on many seats.
Mahagathbandhan was expected to perform excellently on the 78 seats of the Mithilanchal region that went into the election in the third phase. However, the party could not win even half of the seats that were contested in the third phase and NDA maintained the lead in Kosi and Seemanchal sub-region. Of the 24 seats in the Seemanchal region, NDA won 9 seats while it expected to win none. Similarly in Kosi and Mithila sub-region, NDA candidates like Alok Ranjan, Sanjay Saraogi, Madan Sahni won due to division of votes among opposition parties.
Apart from NDA and Mahagathbandhan, Grand Democratic Secular Front which comprised AIMIM, BSP, and RLSP; Progressive Democratic Alliance which comprised Social Democratic Party of India- the political wing of PFI- were fighting and many other smaller alliances and parties were fighting in the election with most of them focused on the Seemanchal and Kosi region. The votes were divided among the smaller parties and alliances which led to the victory of BJP and JD(U) on many seats, and even AIMIM won on 5 seats.
Yogi Adityanath has perfectly combined Hindutva with good governance and capitalist economic policies, and this makes him the most popular leader of the country after Prime Minister Modi. When PM Modi vacates the chair, the 48-year-old Yogi Aditynath would definitely be among the strongest contenders to succeed him as the Prime Minister of the country.