Parties round off campaign blitz in bellwether phase of UP polls

Lucknow: Even as the high-octane campaign for the last lap of UP assembly elections 2022 came to an end on Saturday, all political parties made a last ditch effort to give their best shot as Purvanchal is considered to be the bellwether region of the State.

While the ruling BJP is pulling out all stops to retain its bastion, the Samajwadi Party (SP) made an aggresive push to regain the constituencies it won in the 2012 elections.

Not to forget that this phase will also be a litmus test for allies on both the sides from Anupriya Patel to Om Prakash Rajbhar. BJP surprised everyone with its 2017 tally.

Though, Modi wave was surely felt by most political pundits, a jump of 265 seats (312 seats from 47 in 2012) with a whopping swing of 24.67% (from 15% to 39.67%) confining the combined might of the main opposition SP and Congress to just 54 seats (47+7), was something most pollsters and psephologists failed to predict.

BSP stood third with just 19 seats. Looking closely at 2017 numbers give a clear idea of how big a win it was for the BJP. Riding on Modi wave BJP along with its allies won 222 seats by a margin of 20000 or more votes.

But in the absence of a clear wave and one single narrative, the seat-to-seat narrative has made these polls a fight to the finish.

Both BJP and SP are claiming they have an edge so far. “Voters will vote on the issues. The election will be issue driven. BJP promised to double farmer’s income, control inflation, provide jobs to the youth, etc.

On contrary, it took away jobs, it isn’t paying even the MSP for wheat, paddy, etc., cane farmers are not being paid on time, stray cattle are destroying their crops.

BJP will face the wrath of the voters and SP alliance will form the government with over 300 seats,” said Shivpal Yadav (brother of Mulayam Singh Yadav).

The BJP is backing itself on the image of the PM and its widely propagated narratives including strong action against mafia (bulldozer waali sarkaar as they often call it), law and order, women safety, free ration to the poor. Interestingly, Covid management doesn’t find any prominent place; neither in the opposition’s narrative nor in the BJP’s.