‘Bulldozer Baba’ fails to contain resurgent SP, Congress despite vigorous temple rhetoric

Lucknow: All along the seven phases of the Lok Sabha election, which were spread over two months, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath invoked the people’s support showing off development, and more often in the name of god, an obvious call considering the recent consecration of the famed Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

However, it was not enough to prevent the downslide of BJP, which lost around half of the seats it had won in the previous general election.

During the run-up to the polls, Adityanath addressed around 200 political rallies, including road shows, covering 5-6 constituencies every day in the state.

He was often joined in the campaign by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to ensure that the saffron party reasserts its dominance in the key Hindi heartland state.

All the same, there were few who could anticipate the drastic turnaround that sent the INDIA bloc skyrocketing to a place where it can call the shots even while being in the opposition.

According to the latest information available at the Election Commission site, the Samajwadi Party won two seats while it was leading in 35 constituencies.

The BJP bagged five seats and was leading on 28 seats. Congress emerged victorious at one place and was leading on five seats.

Adityanath, besides covering almost all the districts and Parliamentary constituencies in UP, sought support for the party candidates in Bihar, Uttrakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, and even in the South.

Two years into his second consecutive term as the UP CM, the saffron-clad priest hogged the headlines over his bulldozer policy and for his talking tough against the putative Mafia-raj fostered by the SP during its regime.

He was at the forefront in the run-up to the Ram Mandir consecration ceremony in January this year, and sang paeans to Modi, calling on voters: “Jo Ram ko Laye, Hain hum unko Leyenge.”