The most awaited electoral moment of this year is finally out in the open with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) all set to form its government in three, and AAP snatching Punjab from the Congress. The BJP has made a thumping win in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, while the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is heading for a sweep in Punjab. As per the available trends, the BJP is also holding advantage in Goa. While, BJP and AAP leaders are celebrating their win, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi conceded defeat, saying humbly accept people’s verdict.
The BJP appears to be winning around 270 seats in Uttar Pradesh against around 127 seats of the Samajwadi Party (SP) in the 403 member state assembly. While the AAP, a political outfit not even a decade old, is set to get its first full state to rule in Punjab heading from 92 seats in the 117 member state assembly.
In Uttarakhand, the BJP appears to be winning 48 seats in the 70 member state assembly, while the opposition Congress seems to be getting 18 seats. In Goa, the ruling BJP is almost near to a half way mark, while, the Congress appears to be getting 12 seats in the 40-member state assembly.
In Punjab, several heavyweights, including chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi from both Chamkaur Sahib and Bhadaur seats, former chief ministers Parkash Singh Badal, Amarinder Singh and Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal and Congress state unit chief Navjot Singh Sidhu have lost their election. In the 2017 assembly polls, the AAP had won just 20 seats by contesting 112 seats.
In UP, chief minister Yogi Adityanath from Gorakhpur, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav from Karhal, Shivpal Yadav from Jaswant Nagar have won their seat. Yogi Adityanath will be the first UP CM to retain power after completing a full term, breaking Noida jinx or superstitious belief also that a person who goes to Noida during his CM tenure, loses the next election.
However, in Uttarakhand, chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and Congress veteran Harish Rawat, both have lost their election respectively from Khatima and Lalkuwa. Dhami was the third BJP leader to head the state in the last five years with the two others being Trivendra Singh Rawat and Tirath Singh Rawat.
Manipur is a very important northeastern state where the BJP fought to maintain its footprint with the party deciding to go solo in all 60 constituencies of the state. After 2017 polls, the BJP managed to form a government with the support of the National People’s Party (NPP), Naga People’s Front (NPF) and the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP). Last time, the Congress had won 28 seats in the 60 member state assembly.
