The first G20 Infrastructure Working Group (IWG) meeting under India’s presidency will take place in Pune on January 16-17…reports Asian Lite News
Eleven meetings related to the G20 will be held in various cities of Uttar Pradesh between February 13 and 15. Varanasi will organise six, Agra three, Lucknow one and Greater Noida one.
Under its Presidency, India is expected to hold more than 200 meetings at various levels in the run-up to the G20 Summit.
The participation of representatives of about 40 countries and international organizations is expected in each of these meetings to be organised by the union ministry of foreign affairs till November 3, 2023.
The first G20 Infrastructure Working Group (IWG) meeting under India’s presidency will take place in Pune on January 16-17.
Suryapal Gangwar, District Magistrate, Lucknow, said: “The nodal department of the government of India for the meeting to be held in Lucknow is the ministry of electronics and information technology. The meeting to be held in Lucknow is related to the working group, which is the 1st Digital Economy Working Group (DEWG) meeting.
“The stress would be on artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics. We will show our technical competence and expertise in this area as top officials of G20 countries would be in Lucknow to discuss digital economy.”
Students and professors of Lucknow University, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Technical University (Lucknow), Harcourt Butler Technical University (Kanpur, Madan Mohan Malviya University of Technology (Gorakhpur), Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti Language University (Lucknow) and Bundelkhand University (Jhansi) will participate in the Lucknow session of G20.
They will showcase research and technology enhancement in the field of AI and robotics.
Lucknow, Dec 22 (ANI): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath chairs a Covid-19 review meeting with Team-9 officials amid increasing Covid cases in other countries, on Thursday. (ANI Photo)
He said different events are proposed to be held in Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi, Lucknow, Agra and Greater Noida during the period of one year of G-20 chaired by India…reports Asian Lite News
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday chaired a high-level meeting, and gave guidelines to the officials for the successful organisation of the G-20 conferences to be chaired by India in the year 2023, as per an official statement.
CM Yogi said that India has been bestowed the honour of presiding over the G-20 group of leading nations of the world under the successful leadership of the respected Prime Minister in the year of Amrit Mahotsav of Independence. This global event has brought immense possibilities for Uttar Pradesh. “This event is a great platform to introduce ‘Brand UP’ to the world. We should make the most out of this global event,” the CM said.
He said different events are proposed to be held in Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi, Lucknow, Agra and Greater Noida during the period of one year of G-20 chaired by India.
“According to the Indian spirit of ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’, preparations should be made to make the event grand in these districts. Everyone will have to make efforts as a team to make this event a standard of cleanliness, beauty, safety and orderliness,” CM Yogi said.
He said that arrangements should be made according to the standard of security of foreign visitors. Necessary arrangements should also be made regarding a medical emergency, traffic etc. The guests should be introduced to the diverse food cuisines in Uttar Pradesh.
“The cities hosting the G-20 conferences should be given a grand look. Attractive lighting should be arranged at heritage sites of historical and cultural significance in the cities. Pictures depicting the state’s culture should be displayed on the walls on the tour route for the guests. India’s Yoga tradition is being adopted by the whole world today, in such a situation statues can be installed showing different postures of ‘Surya Namaskar’,” CM Yogi advised.
Emphasising the theme he said that local culture should be made the theme of the event to be held in all four cities. For example, Awadh culture in the capital Lucknow, Braj culture in Agra, Rangotsav, and Ganga culture in Varanasi should be organized as themes, adding, “The guests should be welcomed grandly by showering flowers on their arrival in the state. Take the cooperation of local cultural groups and voluntary organisations.”
“The hosting of G-20 summits is historic. To make it unforgettable and unparalleled, a ‘G-20 Park’ should be established in the capital Lucknow. In this regard, after identifying the place, an action plan should be prepared regarding the outline of the park,” he said.
He further added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given India the name of ‘Mother of Democracy’. Uttar Pradesh has a legacy of rich history.
“Ancient art, culture, history, and archaeological specialities of the state should be compiled and presented on the platform of G-20. The prosperous economy, GDP, industrial development etc. of the state should also be displayed. The G-20 logo should be used at every event and every correspondence of the state government,” said Yogi.
He said that this conference will be successful in its objectives only with wide public participation. A maximum number of youth should be associated with the G-20 summit.
“Special discussions should be organized on this topic in universities. Exhibition of paintings of young painters of the state should also be organized in all the four cities where the event is being held. Apart from this, book fairs, yoga challenges, craft fairs, and dance and music competitions should be organized at the school level. G-20 branding should be done on local establishments and public vehicles. The three local development authorities should also be involved in organizing the proposed events in Greater Noida,” he added.
CM Yogi said that the hosting of the G-20 is also a good opportunity for upgrading city infrastructure and beautification. The roads on the route on which the delegates have to travel should be arranged according to their needs.
“We have to pay special attention to cleanliness. In the cities where conferences are to be held, a week before the date of the program, a special campaign for cleanliness should be conducted. Efforts should be made to make these cities plastic free. Take the cooperation of public representatives and increase public participation,” the CM said.
CM Yogi said that internet connectivity will play a major role in the successful organisation of the G-20 summit. High-speed internet connectivity as per global standards should be available at the venue. Alternative arrangements should also be made. (ANI)
A delegation led by UP Finance Minister Mr Suresh Khanna showcased the facilities at 20 key sectors to invite business community to attend the Global Investors Summit in Lucknow from February 10 to 12, 2023
Uttar Pradesh is gearing up to greet global investors to the most populous state in India. Chief Minister Yogi said the mantra of ‘reform, perform, transform’ has changed the image of Uttar Pradesh as a state with infinite potential and limitless possibilities.
He was addressing the gathering at Taj London to promote the forthcoming Global Investors Summit in Lucknow from February 10 to 12, 2023. The state government has identified 20 key sectors for industrial capital investments and facilitated investment procedures by introducing a single-window system.
UP delegation at the roadshow at Taj Hotel in London. Mr Suresh Khanna, Finance Minister, with Mr Vikram Doraiswami, High Commissioner of India, Mr Amit Singh, Secretary to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Arvind Kumar, Infrastructure and Industrial Development Commissioner, and Mr Darshan Hiranandani , CEO, Hiranandani Group
“The transparent work culture with a dedicated and committed workforce is the hallmark of this brand new Uttar Pradesh,” Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said in a video message.
Mr Suresh Khanna, Finance Minister, said the state will pull all the plugs to facilitate industrial development to support the 250 million population. Uttar Pradesh has set a goal of $1 trillion, following the Prime Minister’s plan to grow India’s economy to $5 trillion.
Introducing the latest industrial policy and sectoral policy of the state, Mr Khanna said that the Uttar Pradesh government has launched various projects in various sectors including IT/ITES, Data Center, ESDM, Defence and Aerospace, Electric Vehicle, Warehousing and Logistics, Tourism, Textile, MSME, etc.
Mr Vikram Doraiswami, High Commissioner of India
Mr Vikram Doraiswami, High Commissioner of India, Mr Amit Singh, Secretary to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Arvind Kumar, Infrastructure and Industrial Development Commissioner, Mr Richard Heald OBE, Chair of UK India Business Council, Mr Darshan Hiranandani , CEO, Hiranandani Group, and Dr Param Shah, Director, FICCI-UK were present.
Amit Singh, Secretary to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, said the three-day global conference will be attended by world class policymakers, top leadership of the corporate world, business delegations, academia, think tanks, and intellectuals. The event will be a turning point in the progress of the state with 250 million people. This time the state has set a target of attracting investment of Rs 10 lakh crore through this summit.
Arvind Kumar, Infrastructure and Industrial Development Commissioner, explained the special privileges available to the investors and the strength of the world-class infrastructure facilities in the state.
“The state’s business climate has significantly improved over time as a result of offering effective policy assistance,” he added.
Arvind Kumar, Infrastructure and Industrial Development Commissioner
Global Investors Summit
Uttar Pradesh delegations are visiting various countries as a precursor to the upcoming UP Global Investors’ Summit 2023 and the state government is reaching out to investors through Investor Connect Roadshows in some 18 Countries and 7 Key India cities, to propagate the investment attractiveness of Uttar Pradesh and garner investment intents.
Business leaders from India are being requested to choose Uttar Pradesh as their investment destination in India. Investments in sectors such as Logistics, Textile, Healthcare & Pharma, Tourism, Automotive & EV, and opportunities in Skill Development & Skilled-labour Exchange were discussed.
In an initiative to achieve the ambitious target of making the State a trillion-dollar economy in the next five years set by UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath, the Uttar Pradesh Global Investors Summit (UP-GIS) 2023 is being organised from 10 to 12 February 2023 in Lucknow.
UP Roadshow In London To Boost Global Invest SummitMr Vikram Doraiswami, High Commissioner of IndiaMr Suresh Khanna, Finance MinisterArvind Kumar, Infrastructure and Industrial Development CommissionerAmit Singh, Secretary to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath
His sister, Kshama Mishra, who was also preparing for the Civil Services, could not clear it during her first three attempts…reports Asian Lite News
Four siblings – two brothers and two sisters – who grew up quite impoverished in Uttar Pradesh’s Lalganj, have cracked the UPSC Civil Services Examination, and all are IAS and IPS officers.
Their father, Anil Prakash Mishra, who was a manager at a Gramin bank, said: “Though I was a manager at a Gramin bank, I never compromised with my children’s quality of education. I wanted them to get good jobs and my children also focused on their studies.”
Yogesh Mishra, the eldest of the four siblings, is an IAS officer. He completed his early education from Lalganj and then did his engineering from the Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology.
He took up a job in Noida but continued to prepare for the Civil Services. In 2013, he cleared the UPSC examination and became an IAS officer.
His sister, Kshama Mishra, who was also preparing for the Civil Services, could not clear it during her first three attempts.
However, she cleared the exams during her fourth attempt and is now an IPS officer.
The third sibling, Madhuri Mishra, after graduating from a college in Lalganj, moved to Allahabad to pursue her Masters.
After this, she successfully cleared her UPSC exams in 2014 and became an IAS officer of Jharkhand cadre.
Lokesh Mishra, who is now in Bihar cadre, is the youngest sibling and had ranked 44th in the UPSC exam in 2015.
The proud father was quoted as saying: “What more can I asked for? I hold my head high today because of my children.”
Merchant and Verma pleaded ‘not guilty’ and were prepared to stand for trial, which started with the initial hiccups and delays…reports Asian Lite News
In an instance proving ‘justice delayed is justice denied’, two Western Railway ex-employees – charged for a minor theft of rail property, have been finally proved innocent and acquitted – after a staggering 36 years.
The duo is Javer Bachubhai Merchant of Jogeshwari in Mumbai, and Gajadhar Prasad Verma of Uttar Pradesh, said their lawyer Mahendra D. Jain.
Metropolitan Magistrate J.C. Dhengale of 36th Court, Mumbai Central, pronounced the verdict as “acquitted” for the duo on March 30 – and it also became a long-awaited ‘birthday gift’ for Merchant, who was born that day in 1947.
Way back on March 3, 1986, they were caught and booked for allegedly stealing some copper cables and wooden plans from the Western Railway’s Mahalaxmi Depot, along with three others – Arun F. Parikh, Sachin P. Parikh, and Ramesh Ramakant Kadale.
They were arrested by the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and charged under the Railway Property (Unlawful Possession) Act, 1966, with the relevant sections providing for a maximum sentence of 5 years if proved guilty, said their advocate.
In the early stage of the trial, the two Parikhs pleaded guilty and were convicted with a one month jail term while Kadale was discharged from the case.
Merchant and Verma pleaded ‘not guilty’ and were prepared to stand for trial, which started with the initial hiccups and delays.
At the time of the incident in which they got willy-nilly trapped, Merchant was a Chief Traction Foreman and Verma was a truck driver, and had secured bail post-arrest.
Citing reasons for the delays, Jain said some accused had applied for discharge and only one got it, besides other big and small aspects that led to the postponements and “tarikh pe tarikh” with the legal cycle finally ending after 36 years.
At present, both the aged ex-WR employees – Mechant, 75, and Verma, 72 – are living in Mumbai, and somehow managed to survive all these years under the scar of the accusations from which they are finally relieved.
“It’s a truly sad thing that the case reached its logical conclusion after 36 years, and reflects on the stark reality of how pendency of cases can affect innocents, ruin their lives, shatter their families and suffer the social trauma of being an ‘accused’ they are not,” Jain said.
Even after so many years, there’s a hanging sword with the possibility of the prosecution going in for appeal against the Magistrate’s verdict within the 6-month period, which could add to the woes of Merchant and Verma, especially for the latter whose health has deteriorated badly and he can barely move without support.
“The prosecution has not able to prove that the copper cable which was recovered from the godown of Cable Sales Aid, Deonar and the wooden planks recovered from Room No. 524, Building No. 27, Samata Nagar, Kandivali, was railway property. The prosecution has also failed to prove that the property was stolen by the accused (Merchant and Verma),” Magistrate Dhengale said in his order.
Jain says that this could probably be one of the longest such trials in recent times involving a small case with mild charges, though some other complicated matters with multiple accused in very serious cases have gone on much longer.
The meeting has been called in Delhi which will be attended by the office-bearers and important leaders of the party, reports Asian Lite News
Amid a call for leadership change in the party, Congress General Secretary in-charge of Uttar Pradesh Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has called a meeting of party leaders on Tuesday to find out the reasons for the defeat.
The Congress could only get just over 2 per cent votes and two seats in the Uttar Pradesh polls.
The meeting has been called in Delhi which will be attended by the office-bearers and important leaders of the party.
The Congress has faced a massive loss in all the five states though Priyanka tried hard to make the party relevant but could not get support of the people.
The Congress Working Committee on Sunday reposed faith in interim party chief Sonia Gandhi after its marathon meeting to discuss the outcome of the Assembly polls and authorised her to undertake “necessary and comprehensive” organisational changes.
Party General Secretary K.C. Venugopal and chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said that the CWC endorsed holding of a ‘Chintan Shivir’ (brainstorming session).
“The recent Assembly election results of five states are a cause of serious concern for the Indian National Congress. The party accepts that due to shortcomings in our strategy, we could not effectively expose the misrule of the BJP state governments in four states and overcome the anti-incumbency in the state of Punjab in the short time after effecting a change of leadership,” said the CWC resolution.
It said that the Congress “represents the hopes of millions of Indians against political authoritarianism prevailing in the country today and the party is fully conscious of its immense responsibility.”
The resolution said that “humbly accepting the electoral verdict of the latest round of Assembly elections, the Congress party assures its workers and the people of India that it will continue to remain a vigilant and vibrant opposition. The Congress Party will be fully prepared to face the electoral challenges in the election going states in 2022 and 2023 as well as in the Lok Sabha elections 2024.
“The CWC unanimously reaffirms its faith in the leadership of Sonia Gandhi and requests the Congress President to lead from the front, address the organisational weaknesses, effect necessary and comprehensive organisational changes in order to take on the political challenges.”
DMK slams Congress
The DMK has lashed out at the Congress for the debacle in the recent elections to the five states.
In its editorial on Monday, the party mouthpiece ‘Murasoli’ said that the lethargic attitude of the Congress to unite other opposition parties in its fold was the reason for the drubbing in the polls.
The editorial also said that opposition unity was the need of the hour to oust the BJP from the centre.
The stand of the party mouthpiece is the political stand of the DMK and this is the first time that the party has come out strongly against its ally.
Quoting the statement of Priyanka Gandhi before the elections that the Congress was ready to align with any party but the BJP, the editorial said that the Congress did not do that and hence lost the polls.
Criticising the BJP, Murasoli in its editorial, said that BJP won the elections with its divisive and communal politics and added that in Uttar Pradesh, the BJP could increase its vote share by only 2 per cent while the Samajwadi Party could raise the vote share by 10 per cent. The party mouthpiece said that in Uttar Pradesh had the SP, BSP, and Congress united, the BJP would have been defeated.
In Punjab, the BJP could not do anything except win two seats.
Political analysts feel that the DMK wanted Congress to take the lead in stitching together an anti-BJP front for the 2024 general elections.
Dr R. Padmanabhan, Director, Socio-Economic Development Foundation, a think tank based out of Madurai said: “Given the poor situation that the Congress is in, it is better for the DMK to take the initiative for a front against the BJP and to take the Congress on board. This is workable and Stalin must take the initiative just like his father Late Chief Minister, M. Karunanidhi had done in earlier years.”
All major parties –BJP, BSP, INC, and SP – nominated very few SC/ST candidates outside the reserved constituencies…reports Asian Lite News
Despite the pre-election narrative about upper castes being upset with the BJP, an analysis of the election data shows that within the upper castes, the highest number of MLAs are from the BJP alliance.
The alliance has 117 such MLAs whereas the SP alliance has only 11.
The BSP, Congress and Jansatta Dal (Loktantrik) have one MLA each from upper caste category.
All SC/ST MLAs have won only in the reserved constituencies, within which, the BJP alliance has the highest number (65) followed by the SP alliance (20) and Jansatta Dal (Loktantrik) (1).
Caste and religion have remained dominant factors in Uttar Pradesh Assembly election but the charisma of the Modi and Yogi seems to have doused all anger, if any, and the party has got immense Hindu support – including Jats who were said to be opposed to the BJP.
The BJP mobilised voters with social engineering and developmental discourse which paid rich dividends.
Data reveals that the highest number of MLAs have been elected from the Brahmin community (52), followed by Rajput (49), Kurmi/Sainthwar (40), Muslim (34), Jatav/Chamar (29), Pasi (27), Yadav (27), Bania/Khatri (21) and so on.
Except Muslims, Yadavs, and Rajbhars, the BJP alliance has the highest number of MLAs in each caste.
According to BJP sources, the party has got about 89 per cent Brahmin votes, compared to 83 per cent in 2017.
Nearly 87 per cent Thakurs have voted for BJP, compared to 70 per cent in 2017. It is noteworthy that in 2017, Yogi Adityanath – a Thakur himself – was not projected as chief minister.
Both Brahmins and Thakurs have a population of about 7 per cent each but are powerful opinion makers, especially in the rural areas.
The BJP has also got considerable support from Hindu backward castes which explains the increased number of MLAs from these caste groups.
The 18th Uttar Pradesh Assembly will have the highest number of MLAs from Hindu backward castes, followed by upper castes, SCs/STs, Muslims, and Sikhs.
Within backward caste MLAs, the BJP alliance has 90 legislators whereas the SP alliance has 60 and the Congress one.
The figure shows that 151 (38 per cent) MLAs elected, are from the Hindu backward castes, followed by the upper castes (131, 33 per cent) and the SC/ST (86, 21 per cent).
Total 86 constituencies are reserved for the SC/ST category, and candidates belonging to these communities have been able to win only these reserved seats.
All major parties – BJP, BSP, INC, and SP – nominated very few SC/ST candidates outside the reserved constituencies.
This time, 34 MLAs (8 per cent) have been elected from the Muslim community despite them constituting around 19 per cent of the state’s population. All 34 Muslim MLAs belong to the SP which has reportedly got 79 per cent Muslim votes, compared to 46 per cent in 2017.
Only one candidate from Sikh community has won the election.
Interestingly, the BJP has managed to win over the Jatav voters who, once, were solidly behind the Bahujan Samaja Party.
Nearly 19 candidates belonging to the Jatav/Chamar caste in the BJP alliance have won the elections.
The BJP, apparently, has overturned the game of rival political parties, claiming to be the harbinger of social justice and welfare on their own turf.
In Mau, Mukhtar Ansari’s son Abbas Ansari, fighting on an SBSP ticket, defeated BJP’s Ashok Kumar Singh by 38,227 votes…reports Asian Lite News
In a seemingly polarised electoral atmosphere that saw a straight contest between the ruling BJP and Samajwadi Party (SP), voters have sent 36 Muslim candidates to the 18th Uttar Pradesh Assembly, two more than the previous Assembly.
The newly-elected MLAs account for 8.93 per cent of the total 403 legislators in a state that has a over 20 per cent Muslim population.
Among the prominent Muslim MLAs who have been elected are Mohd Azam Khan, his son Abdullah Azam Khan, jailed-gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari’s son Abbas, and nephew Mannu.
In Rampur, jailed SP leader Azam Khan won the seat after securing 1,21,755 votes, while BJP’s Akash Saxena was a distant second with 56,368 votes.
In the Suar Assembly segment, Azam’s son Abdullah Azam received 1,26,162 votes against 65,059 votes of Haidar Ali Khan a.k.a. Hamza Mian, who contested on Apna Dal’s ticket.
In Mau, Mukhtar Ansari’s son Abbas Ansari, fighting on an SBSP ticket, defeated BJP’s Ashok Kumar Singh by 38,227 votes.
In Mohammadabad (Ghazipur), former MLA Sibgatullah Ansari’s son and Mukhtar’s nephew Suhaib Ansari a.k.a. Mannu emerged victorious with a margin of 18,199 votes defeating BJP’s sitting MLA Alka Rai.
In Kairana seat, SP’s Nahid Hasan secured a win after polling 1,31,035 votes against BJP candidate Mriganka Singh’s 1,05,148.
In Nizamabad (Azamgarh), SP’s 85-year-old veteran, Alam Badi, was re-elected defeating BJP’s Manoj by a margin of 34,187 votes.
Kithore Assembly seat in Meerut saw a close contest between SP’s Shahid Mazoor and BJP’s Satvir Singh. Mazoor won the seat by a slender margin of 2,180 votes.
In Kundarki (Moradabad), SP MP Shafiqur Rahman Barq’s son Zia-ur-Rehman trounced BJP’s Kamal Kumar by 43,162 votes.
This time, while the SP fielded much smaller number of Muslim candidates — 64 — primarily in an attempt to shed the tag of its MY (Muslim – Yadav) combination being its core constituency, the BSP fielded 88 Muslims while the Congress fielded another 75.
Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM, too, fielded over 60 candidates from the community. Though the manner in which the community voted, it appears mostly SP remained the top choice of Muslims while the BSP and AIMIM also got the support of the community in some seats. However, at the most they played spoilsport for the SP candidates who were trailing by slender margins.
The AAP’s broom swept away the ruling Congress in Punjab, which was saddled by incumbency and infighting. The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) led alliance and BJP failed to dent the prospects of the Arvind Kejriwal-led party, reports Asian Lite News
The BJP’s lotus bloomed again in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand while AAP’s broom swept away opponents in Punjab as results for five states were declared on Thursday. The BJP also won in Manipur and emerged as the single-largest party in Goa.
In Uttar Pradesh, the saffron party-led alliance is close to winning 270 seats in the 403-member assembly. In Uttarakhand, it is leading in over 40 seats, comfortably above the majority mark of 36.
While the results are the same as in 2017, the “verdict” is slightly different. The BJP is winning UP but the margin is not as handsome as it was in 2017. It had won 312 seats alone in the state in the previous elections.
In Goa and Manipur, the BJP had won fewer seats in 2017 but managed to form the governments. This time, it is the single largest party but hasn’t been able to cross the majority mark yet.
AAP’s big win
The AAP’s broom swept away the ruling Congress in Punjab, which was saddled by incumbency and infighting. The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) led alliance and BJP failed to dent the prospects of the Arvind Kejriwal-led party
Whether it’s a bigger victory for AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal or its Punjab CM candidate Bhagwant Mann, the jury will be out on that. But the clear mandate in Punjab is sure to stoke the party’s national ambitions, which it had been harbouring since getting its first taste of victory nearly 7 years ago. And while buoyant AAP supporters are busy celebrating Punjab’s victory, there is a somber silence in the Congress ranks.
Congress in a spot
The grand old party, which continues to lose its footprint in India, has lost another state. In Uttarakhand, it failed to take the fight to the BJP despite the saffron party changing its CM not once but twice.
In Manipur and Goa too, the Congress failed to topple the BJP.
And in UP, the party’s spirited women-centric campaign led by Priyanka Gandhi failed to impress the voters with its seat share depleting from 7 in 2017 to 1 in 2022, as per available trends.
Churn in opposition
The electoral landscape of India is more or less the same as it was before the results, save Punjab which has flipped from Congress to Aam Aadmi Party.
But the flip could have a far-reaching impact on national level politics as the vacuum to emerge as the national alternative to the BJP is yet to be filled by any opposition party.
With Punjab now in its kitty, the AAP is in power in two states. Interestingly, the Congress too has only two states to its name where it is in power on its own.
While AAP has firmed up its position as a potential national force in the future, it still has a long way to go. The AAP is in power in states which together make up 20 Lok Sabha seats. The Congress is in power in states that together send 36 members to the lower house.
The party understands this and is working to expand itself beyond Punjab and Delhi.
Setback for Mayawati
The party, which was once a major player in UP elections, has been reduced to just 5-odd seats this year with a vote share of over 12%. This is a direct depletion of over 10 percentage points compared to 2017.
In essence, Mayawati’s BSP has been reduced to a party that cuts into the votes of SP candidates. SP scores big but fails to trouble BJP Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav could take heart from today’s result as he managed to pull his party from a dismal show in 2017 to a fighting performance in 2022.
The SP won 126 seats while its allies are leading in 14. This is nearly thrice the number of seats Akhilesh had won in 2017 when he contested in alliance with Congress. The party also managed to boost its vote share by nearly 10 percentage points to 31% – its highest ever in the state.
Unfortunately for Akhilesh, the performance wasn’t good enough to topple the Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government. The result, however, could set the stage for SP to emerge as a solid alternative force in the state.
In the previous elections, SP’s decision to contest with Congress (2017 assembly) and BSP (2019 Lok Sabha) had failed to impress the voters.
Yogi breaks 37-year jinx
Besides AAP, UP chief minister is another big winner of the 2022 elections. In 2017, the BJP had contested the elections without declaring a chief ministerial candidate. In 2022, Yogi was the
clear-cut choice and the face of BJP’s campaign.
Leading the BJP to a historic victory in UP will come as a shot in the arm for Yogi, who is considered as one of the most popular faces in the BJP’s ranks.
BJP creates history in Uttarakhand
The saffron party has also managed to create history by winning a consecutive term in a state which alternates between Congress and BJP. Power has changed hands every five years since the formation of the hill state in 2001.
The results are a big thumbs up to chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, who had assumed power just seven months before the elections. Moreover, the constant infighting in BJP’s Uttarakhand unit and two changes did not have a big impact on the poll results either.
Advantage BJP in 2024?
Coming just two years ahead of Lok Sabha elections, today’s results augur well for the BJP. Uttar Pradesh is the top bellwether state in India vis-à-vis national polls and another big victory in the state bodes well for the BJP, which is eyeing a third straight term in Lok Sabha.
The state sends the maximum number of MPs to Parliament at 80.
“Forget 2019 and start planning (and) hoping for 2024,” National Conference leader Omar Abdullah had tweeted this in 2017 when the BJP stormed to power.
Now, with another victory under its belt in the numerically crucial state, the BJP will find itself on a strong footing as it gears up for the national poll,
Brand Modi bankable
As always, the BJP reaped rich dividends in UP and Uttarakhand by banking on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity and national appeal.
Besides Yogi, the Prime Minister led BJP’s campaign in Uttar Pradesh and addressed as many as 28 rallies in the seven-phase elections. This was more than the number of rallies he had addressed in 2017.
The BJP has shored up 44.6 per cent of the vote – a significant 5 per cent improvement over the 2017 elections, reports Asian Lite News
Yogi Adityanath will return as Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh with the BJP taking an unassailable lead over rivals in India’s politically most vital state with an ever bigger vote share than last time.
The BJP has shored up 44.6 per cent of the vote – a significant 5 per cent improvement over the 2017 elections.
Akhilesh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party, trailing with roughly half the seats, gained over the last election but fell far short of the party’s expectations.
The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Congress were leading in five and four seats respectively. The Apna Dal (Sonelal) was leading in 11 seats and the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) in seven, according to latest trends.
Among those leading were Yogi Adityanath from Gorakhpur, Akhilesh Yadav from Karhal, his party’s Shivpal Yadav from Jaswant Nagar, and Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya from Sirathu.
With 80 parliamentary seats, Uttar Pradesh holds the key to power at the centre and could offer clues to the national mood before the 2024 general election.
Home to about a fifth of India’s 135 crore people, UP sends the most legislators to parliament of any state.
A majority for the BJP would make it the first party to get a consecutive second term in more than three decades.
The Samajwadi Party, considered the biggest challenger of the BJP in Uttar Pradesh, had stitched up a diverse coalition with smaller parties which it had hoped would supplement its Muslim-Yadav support base with voters from the Other Backward Classes.
Exit polls had predicted a comfortable majority for the BJP, despite the government’s much-criticised handling of Covid-19, high unemployment, and anger over farm reforms that were cancelled last year after protests.
The BJP has long predicted it would retain the state because of policies such as free staples for the poor during the pandemic, a crackdown on crime, and its appeal to Hindu voters.
‘Voters have rejected dynasty politics’
The BJP on Thursday claimed that voters have hugely responded to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal to reject dynasty politics.
BJP Rajya Sabha member Vinay Sahasrabuddhe tweeted, “While the final tallies are yet to come, voters have hugely responded to PM @narendramodi Ji’s appeal and REJECTED most Dynasty Based parties!SP in UP, Cong is Goa, Manipur, UK & Punjab, Akali in Punjab and TMC in Goa, facing huge defeat! Lessons for Shiv Sena and NCP if they learn.”
BJP national general secretary (organisation) B.L. Santhosh tweeted, “BJP winning in UP: Declining democratic values, Dismantling of republic etc. AAP winning in Punjab: promise of alternative governance, New hope rising etc. Kuch log sudharenge nahin (some people will not mend themselves).”
Taking a dig at caste politics, Union minister of state and BJP election co-incharge Arjun Ram Meghwal tweeted, “Casteism lost, nationalism won.”
BJP national general secretary C.T. Ravi said that ‘double engine governments are winning across India’.
“Double Engine Governments are winning across India under the leadership of PM Shri @narendramodi. It is very evident that Voters have more faith in the ‘development politics’ of BJP than the ‘appeasement politics’ of the Opposition,” Ravi tweeted.
