With its stellar performance in UP Panchayat polls, BJP has demolished bastion politics in India

Ahead of the next year’s assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, BJP has received a booster shot of confidence by sweeping the Uttar Pradesh Zila Panchayat Polls and decimating the opposition into oblivion, and simultaneously pushing it into an existential crisis. What has made the victory sweeter for the party is the fact that it has managed to demolish the bastion politics in the northern state, whilst making its way through the farmers’ protests that were painted as the death knell for the party.

Winning 67 of the 75 seats is a staggering achievement and it becomes even more significant when 22 seats were won unopposed. The face of the fake protests — Rakesh Tikait faced the drubbing when he nominated Satyendra Balyan, brother of Sanjeev Balyan (senior leader, Bharatiya Kisan Union) as his candidate.

With the unwavering support of the opposition, the Tikait brothers were confident of winning the seat, however, the results sprung a surprise that many could not have predicted. The BKU candidate managed to receive only 4 votes. Calling the defeat received by Tikait and BKU, a thrashing, would be severely underplaying the accomplishment of the BJP.

Similarly, Mulayam Singh Yadav and his bastion in Mainpuri were breached by the BJP. Despite losing relevance in the state in the last few Lok Sabha and assembly elections, poll pundits were confident that Samajwadi Party (SP) will be able to hold its fortress. It is pertinent to note that for the last three decades, SP had been winning the panchayat elections without any solid competition.

However, the tables were turned this time around and the archaic party failed to put up a fight. With the assembly elections closer than ever, Mulayam and his son Akhilesh might have to turn inwards and posit a new political strategy, or else risk losing remaining clout in the state.

Meanwhile, Congress, akin to its national and other state elections performance, tasted defeat for the umpteenth time. The party lost the election in Rae Bareli — the parliamentary constituency of Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi. BJP candidate Ranjana Choudhary defeated Congress leader Aarti Singh by a significant margin. Furthermore, Amethi, the former borough of Congress party scion Rahul Gandhi was again toppled by a BJP leader named Rajesh Agrahari.

Buoyed by the success of his party in the just-concluded elections, CM Yogi Adityanath seemed chuffed about the party’s prospect in the next year’s elections. Yogi claimed that BJP was well on its way to breach the 300 seat mark.

“BJP candidates won 67 out of 75 district panchayat chairperson seats. I thank BJP workers. BJP will win the 2022 elections with a huge margin. We will win more than 300 seats,” said Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

Yogi Adityanath’s leadership is being lauded by the BJP leaders across the country including by Prime Minister. Immediately after the results were declared, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, “The (BJP’s) win in Zila Panchayat chairman elections was people’s blessing for development, public service and rule of law. The credit goes to policies of CM Yogi Adityanath and workers of the BJP. Congratulations to UP government and BJP organisation.”

Read More: BJP’s wave is way above caste and regional politics. Its win in the Zila Panchayat polls proves the same

BJP’s massive victory in the district body President’s election shows the kind of popularity that Yogi Adityanath enjoys and how his appeal cuts across the caste and bastion politics in Uttar Pradesh. Despite the opposition trying every dirty trick in the book to sabotage BJP’s chances, the public has given a resounding answer to the cheap and outright disgusting brand of politics.