UP municipal election results 2023 highlights: BJP wins all 17 mayoral seats

As per the initial trends, the BJP is leading in all 17 Nagar Nigams.

BJP candidate Ashok Tiwari is leading for the mayoral seat in Varanasi Nagar Nigam.

The BJP is leading in 13 municipal corporations while BSP and SP are leading in one mayoral seat each.

In the Sirsaganj Municipality of Firozabad, the BJP is leading in the postal ballot count. Out of 43 postal ballots, the BJP has received 35 votes, SP (Samajwadi Party) has received seven votes, and BSP (Bahujan Samaj Party) has received one vote.

The State Election Commission (SEC) has prohibited victory processions after the counting. “We have taken all possible steps for peaceful and transparent counting of votes,” State Election Commissioner Manoj Kumar said.

The postal ballot counting in Balrampur Nagar Palika is over. While the BJP candidate received 15 votes, SP and BSP candidates received four each.

For the position of Gauriganj Municipal Chairman, a total of four postal ballots were cast, with SP and BJP candidates sharing two each.

The counting at C A S Inter College in Faridpur didn't start at the scheduled 8am as all the polling staff had not reported for duty. Repeated announcements are being made for the absent staff, warning them that action will be taken against them if they fail to show up.

The BJP is leading on 10 mayoral seats while the BSP is leading at 2, according to initial trends projection by India Today.

Counting of votes for Uttar Pradesh Urban Local Body polls has started amid tight security measures.

“It is hoped that the Election Commission will keep telling the figures after each round so that public confidence remains,” Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said in a tweet in Hindi.

"We will have counting of votes at 4 centres here. 1,249 constables, 200 sub-inspectors, 32 inspectors and 2 teams of PAC have been deployed. Only those with valid passes will be allowed near the counting centre," says SSP Hemraj Meena.

BJP's Sushma Karkhaval is currently a member of the Uttar Pradesh BJP Working Committee. SP mayoral candidate Vandana Mishra has been actively involved in numerous social movements and public welfare activities. She has worked as a journalist for an extensive period at Dainik Jagran and Navbharat Times

Ahead of the counting, the police have enhanced the security at all the counting centres and restricted the entry of phones or any kind of weapon inside the counting centre, said a senior police official on Friday.

"The counting of votes for the municipal elections will be held on Saturday. In this regard, elaborate security arrangements have been made by the Lucknow Police at all the counting centres. Phone or any type of weapon is not allowed to be taken to the counting centre by the counting agent and the candidate. Liquor shops will remain closed tomorrow," said Aparna Rajat Kaushik, DCP Central Lucknow.

BJP won 14 out of 16 seats while BSP managed to bag two seats. In 2018, Shahjahanpur transitioned to municipal corporation, taking the total number of Nagar Nigams in Uttar Pradesh to 17.

As many as 11 candidates in the field for the Mayor's position in Varanasi, but the fight is largely between BJP, SP, and Congress. Prior to the elections, the ruling party, BJP, was considered to have the edge with candidate Ashok Tiwari, but after the polling, the lower voter turnout percentage and the enthusiasm of voters in Muslim-dominated areas have made the competition triangular. BJP is facing tough competition here from SP candidate Omprakash Singh and Congress candidate Anil Srivastava.

Ganesh Kesarwani, the Bharatiya Janata Party's mayoral candidate, has been active in politics since 1987. Born on January 5, 1968, in Prayagraj, Ganesh actively participated in the Ram Janmabhoomi movement in 1989.

Ajay Srivastava, the mayoral candidate of the Samajwadi Party, has been involved in politics and social work for over two decades. He joined the Bahujan Samaj Party as a member in 1998 and the party fielded him as a candidate from North Allahabad in the 2002 Vidhan Sabha elections. However, Ajay lost the election. In 2017, he joined the Samajwadi Party, leaving the Bahujan Samaj Party along with Indrajit Saroj.

BJP's Ajay Kumar Singh is entering electoral politics for the first time. He has been working in the medical field in Saharanpur for the past thirty years. He is also the administrator of Medigram Hospital located in the city. Khadija Masood, the daughter-in-law of the late former Union Minister Rasheed Masood, is contesting on the BSP ticket. Her father-in-law, Rasheed Masood, was a nine-time Member of Parliament and served as the Union Minister for Health once.

BJP's mayoral candidate Harikant Ahluwalia is up against the joint SP-RLD candidate Seema Pradhan. In the 2012 municipal elections, Harikant Ahluwalia received 198,579 votes. He defeated the Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate Rafiq Ansari, who received 77,806 votes. Devendra Singh from the Congress party secured the third position with 53,112 votes. In the previous election, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) emerged victorious.

There is tough competition for the mayoral post in Bareilly between the outgoing mayor, Umesh Gautam of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and I.S. Tomar, an independent candidate supported by the Samajwadi Party (SP). However, KB Tripathi from the Congress party and Mohammad Yousuf from the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) have also made their presence felt in the electoral arena.

In Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's home constituency, the main fight will be between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Samajwadi Party (SP) for the mayoral election.

Mangalesh Srivastav, a long-time member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), is the BJP candidate for the mayoral election. Originally from Maharajganj district, completed his primary education at Saraswati Shishu Mandir. He pursued his MBBS and MD (Pathology) from Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi Memorial Medical College in Kanpur. Currently, he holds the position of Vice President in Saraswati Shishu Mandir and Saraswati Shiksha Samiti. He has also been actively involved in social projects of the Gorakhnath Temple.

Samajwadi Party's mayoral candidate Kajal Nishad is an actress by profession. She was born in Kutch, Gujarat, but her family resides in Mumbai. Kajal was active in the Congress party in Mumbai and was nominated as a candidate from the Gorakhpur Rural Assembly constituency by the Congress during the 2012 assembly elections, but she lost. However, she remained active in politics. In 2021, Kajal met Abu Azmi, a legislator in Mumbai, who advised her to meet Akhilesh Yadav, the national president of the Samajwadi Party and former Chief Minister. After the meeting, Kajal expressed her desire to join the Samajwadi Party.

BJP's Sunita Dayal is expected to have the upper hand in the closely contested Ghaziabad mayoral election. With a legacy of six BJP mayors in Ghaziabad, Sunita Dayal's win will solidify the party's dominance in local politics. Dayal, a seasoned BJP leader, has been an active member of the party since the 1980s. Her journey in politics began when female participation in the political arena was relatively low. Despite the challenges, she carved a niche for herself within the party, serving in various leadership positions.

Nagar Nigam, also known as Municipal Corporation, is the highest tier of urban local government in India. It is established in larger cities with a population exceeding one million. Nagar Nigam is responsible for providing essential civic services such as water supply, sanitation, solid waste management, road maintenance, public health, urban planning, and local governance. The administration of Nagar Nigam is headed by a Mayor, who is elected by the citizens, and supported by a council of corporators representing different wards within the city.

Nagar Palika Parishad, also known as Municipal Council, is a mid-level urban local body. It is established in smaller towns and urban areas with a population between 20,000 and one million. Nagar Palika Parishad functions similar to Nagar Nigam but on a relatively smaller scale. It provides basic civic amenities and services to the residents, including water supply, sanitation, waste management, street lighting, public health, and maintenance of local infrastructure. Nagar Palika Parishad is headed by a President, who is elected by the people, and operates with the assistance of council members.

Nagar Panchayat is the lowest tier of urban local government in India. It is established in areas transitioning from rural to urban settings or with a population below 20,000. Nagar Panchayats primarily cater to small towns and semi-urban areas. They are responsible for basic civic functions such as water supply, sanitation, street lighting, maintenance of local roads, public health, and minor infrastructural development. The administration of a Nagar Panchayat is led by a Chairman, who is elected by the residents, along with council members representing different wards.

The stage is set for counting votes cast during the two phases of the urban local body polls in Uttar Pradesh. The counting will start at 8am.