The saffron wave swept four of the five states that went to the polls earlier this year, with the BJP bagging a massive victory in Manipur, Goa and Uttarakhand, and securing a comfortable majority in the Uttar Pradesh elections, albeit smaller than its 2017 mandate. General elections remain a couple of years away but the results declared on March 10 will have far-reaching consequences for national politics.
UP, a precursor to Lok Sabha polls 2024
CM Yogi Adityanath will return to power in Uttar Pradesh with a comfortable majority, with the saffron party leading in over 250 seats (59 confirmed) according to the Election Commission. The resentment towards Yogi's government due to farmers' protest, the Lakhimpur Kheri incident and the havoc wreaked by the second wave of Covid-19 was reflected in the reduced tally of 250-odd seats from 2017's whopping mandate of 312.
Still a big victory, it is sure to encourage the BJP which seeks a third consecutive term in the Lok Sabha polls in 2024. UP polls are considered a precursor to national elections, as the state sends the most number of MPs to the Lok Sabha (80). After a clean sweep in the 2017 Assembly polls, the BJP won in 62 of the 80 parliamentary constituencies, a show the party will hope to replicate in 2024.
Yogi Adityanath led the party's fiery campaign through the state, with humorous barbs and catchy tunes. Not just that, the chief minister is set to win his maiden Assembly election from Gorakhpur Urban. This victory will boost Adityanath's image and cement his position within the party.
Threat to the Opposition front
BJP's four-for-one victory in these polls threatens the Opposition front in the making to counter the saffron party at the Centre in 2024. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav is a main player for the Opposition, for whom West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had campaigned ahead of the UP polls.
BJP strengthens hold over Northeast
The BJP alliance is in power in all north-eastern states except Mizoram and Sikkim. Even in these two states, ruling parties are part of the North-East Democratic Alliance (NEDA). With positive news for the BJP in Manipur, it will strengthen its hold over the northeastern region. BJP won a majority in the latest elections of Arunachal Pradesh and Tripura; it won close to a majority in Assam in both 2016 and 2021.
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