As per the current trends, the Samajwadi Party-led INDIA bloc has managed to edge out the BJP in the crucial heartland state of Uttar Pradesh.
A surprise : The better than expected showing by Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh has surprised many, at least those who were expecting the results to mirror exit poll predictions. Most exit polls had predicted that the BJP-led NDA will win at least 65 out of 80 Lok Sabha seats in the state and the opposition INDIA bloc will share the rest. However, according to trends, the Samajwadi Party is all set to win around 38 seats and its alliance partner Congress another 7.
The fight : The Samajwadi Party had allied with the Congress. According to the pre-poll deal, the Congress contested on 17 seats, while the SP on 63 seats. The BJP-led NDA had Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), Apna Dal (Sonelal), Nishad Party and Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party on its side. While the BJP contested on 74 seats, the RLD and Apna Dal contested on two seats each, and the Nishad Party and Suheldev BSP on one seat each.
The numbers : In 2019, NDA won 64 Lok Sabha seats in UP with BJP’s tally alone being 62. The SP and BSP had contested the 2019 election in an alliance and SP got a 18.1% vote share and 5 seats.
Akhilesh wins : Congress had little say in the alliance in the state and it was Akhilesh who had a clean slate to make it work for himself, his party and INDIA bloc and he seems to have succeeded. Akhilesh emerges as a strong regional leader again.
The family wins : The SP gave tickets to five Yadavs and all were from the same family. Akhilesh Yadav contested from Kannauj, Dimple Yadav from Mainpuri, Dharmendra Yadav from Azamgarh, Akshay Yadav from Firozabad and Aditya Yadav from Badaun.
