Bulldozer Baba Is Back As Samajwadi Party Fails To Unseat BJP

As the ruling BJP looks set to retain power with a comfortable win in the Uttar Pradesh elections, Yogi Adityanath makes history by winning the second term. The Yogi-led party was leading in 267 seats out of 403 as counting was still underway. Putting all speculations to rest about the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party returning to power, the BJP trounced its key rival in the assembly election. The saffron party crossed the majority mark in the initial rounds itself. The state has 403 assembly seats and 202 seats are required to form a majority government. 

भारतीय जनता पार्टी प्रदेश मुख्यालय में... https://t.co/jAQm3W04Py

— Yogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) March 10, 2022

Despite the BJP facing harsh criticism over the handling of the COVID-19 situation and farmers' agitation against 3 farm laws, the party managed to gain a thumping majority with the claims of providing a crime-free society and other public welfare schemes. As Yogi was called as ‘Baba Bulldozer’ by the Samajwadi Party chief during a campaign, the BJP party workers in Lucknow were seen celebrating the party’s electoral success with bulldozers of all shapes and sizes. Bulldozer was a reference to the Uttar Pradesh administration’s move to demolish properties belonging to criminals and the mafia. 

The monk-turned-politician Yogi Adityanath is set to win his Gorakhpur Urban seat leading over his Samajwadi Party’s rival Subhwati Shukla by about 51,974 votes. In Spite of pulling large crowds in its election rallies, Samajwadi Party was trailing with leads in 120 seats, a significant jump from the 47 last time while its allies the RLD and the SBSP were ahead in 10 and four seats respectively. 

#WATCH | Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers in Lucknow celebrate as official trends show the party sweeping elections in Uttar Pradesh pic.twitter.com/JtsuLbriXp

— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) March 10, 2022

While the Mayawati-led BSP was relegated to margins with the party set to register its poorest performance ever in the assembly polls. BSP had won 19 seats in the 2017 UP assembly elections but in this election, the party is confined to single digits. The BSP and Congress were leading in three and two seats respectively. 

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the party humbly accepts the people’s verdict in the assembly polls as the Grand Old Party failed to make a mark in assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur while losing Punjab to Aam Aadmi Party. 

Humbly accept the people’s verdict. Best wishes to those who have won the mandate.

My gratitude to all Congress workers and volunteers for their hard work and dedication.

We will learn from this and keep working for the interests of the people of India.

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) March 10, 2022

With the news of BJP racing to the second term trickled in, party workers burst into jubilation celebrating the landslide victory at the party headquarters in Lucknow on Thursday. The workers were seen dancing to popular tunes and throwing saffron-colored gulal at each other while there was not much euphoria at the offices of the Samajwadi Party and other opposition parties.