Saffron Lotus Rising: UP Election 2017 is Fruitful for BJP

It’s the day that had Bijnor resident Jagannath Mishra excited for over a week. Skeptical at the promises made by PM Modi, Jagannath had other plans for UP election 2017. He said, “I was not going to vote, but looking at the importance of the election and the desperate need to fight UP’s gundaraj, I changed my mind.” Jagannath Mishra is happy to know that the BJP’s candidate Suchi Chaudhary has won Bijnor.

There is good news for BJP in Uttar Pradesh. After the long power struggle going on for over 26 years, BJP is heading for a coalition-less government. The last time this happened, Kalyan Singh sat on the Chief Minister’s throne with a winning score of 221 seats. UP election 2017 results show BJP leading with 315 seats. Soon the counting tally will make the picture clearer, that is, the likelihood of BJP making a one-party government.

The credit for this paradigm shift goes to Prime Minister Narendra Modi according to most election analysts. BJP is being carried on the sturdy shoulders of Narendra Modi. His ‘56-Inch chest’ has helped BJP in spite of some of its candidates being weak links of the organization. On the other hand, Rahul Gandhi has helped BJP and other parties by bringing down Congress with his outrageous and funny speeches. From “Poverty is a state of mind” to “This morning I woke up at night”, the Yuvraj has cleared the air on the competence of Congress.

It seems BJP might have a hiccup in Goa and Punjab. Laxmikant Parsekar’s embarrassing defeat might be due to their inability to counter the drug menace and illegal mining. The drug problem in Punjab is also why Shiromani Akali Dal’s coalition with BJP is experiencing a major setback. Even Aam Admi Party, who is currently facing a lot of flak in Delhi, was able to outrun BJP with 21 seats.

So what should BJP do to keep their crown in the next election?  A large number of its voters would want them to act on the Ram Janma Bhoomi case. Their triumph in Muslim-majority areas makes it a canker sore. But as long as PM Modi is in the game, BJP is safe. Nevertheless, they need strong and honest candidates to avoid this dependency.