Samajwadi Party-Congress alliance has been decimated in Uttar Pradesh assembly Polls. With a victory on over 300 seats, the Bharatiya Janata Party is set to form the next government in the politically crucial state after 15 years. After two month power tussle in the Yadav family, Akhilesh overcome all odds to get hold of the party. However he will have to take responsibility for party’s defeat also.
Here are seven reasons for party’s defeat in Uttar Pradesh elections
1) House not in order: The divide in the SP house has clearly hurt the party, Cornering Uncle Shivpal Yadav who has a huge presence at grass root level has definitely fractured party’s traditional voters. Party patriarch Mulayam Singh disinterest in party’s election campaign have also worked against the party.
2) The PR branding gone wrong: Just a few months before the elections, Akhilesh Yadav’s PR campaign was on full swing. He was projected as a saviour who wants the party to get rid of tainted people. Even the English media saw in him a future prime minister but despite the relentless social media campaign
3) The division of votes: One of the possible reasons for SP’s poll drubbing could be the division of Muslim votes. Mayawati has alleged that how could BJP lead in Muslim dominated areas. First possible reason is like Lok Sabha the minority votes got divided or a few might have chosen to bet on the saffron party. According to reports, party’s loyal OBC voters have also shifted in BJP’s favour.
4) The development bubble: The result clearly indicates that the development plank failed to woo voters: Just an year ago , people were but in last six months’ whole narrative changed people talked about Metro in Lucknow, Agra Lucknow expressway and soon to be developed IT parks but if we take a closer look at Uttar Pradesh the government machinery works efficiently in areas represented by political bigwigs.
5) Law and Order: Akhilesh Yadav may have painted a rosy picture of law and order situation in the state but the reality is far more worrisome. There are on average 24 rapes and 13 murders per day in UP. The Bulandsher gangrape case shocked the nation and the pain was aggravated by SP leader Azam Khan who had apologize to the victim following a Supreme Court order.
6) The Congress gamble: Alliance with Congress that was meant to consolidate Muslim votes has clearly not worked in party’s favour. While Akhilesh Yadav may have focussed on promises he fulfilled and PM Modi did not, Rahul Gandhi’s entire energy was concentrated on targetting the prime minister.
7) BJP’s shrewd campaigning: BJP was well aware that UP polls was the most crucial of all state elections, the partty engaged its best bet Narendra Modi who addressed a total of 24 election rallies. While BJP did not rake the Hindu-Muslim issues during its campaign in West Uttar Pradesh which is already poarised, the party smartly used communal undertones during its campaign in last three phases of assembly elections.
