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Yogi charisma all the way: BJP bags 27 out of 28 seats in Gkp divn
After the fifth phase polls on Feb 27, Adityanath camped in Gorakhpur to give thrust to the BJP campaign. Along with roadshows, he addressed a series of public meetings in most of the assembly segments and highlighted development projects launched by the BJP government in Gorakhpur region
LUCKNOW The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) bagged 27 out of the 28 assembly seats in four districts of Gorakhpur division – Gorakhpur, Kushinagar, Maharajganj and Deoria – considered the home turf of UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath.
Riding on the charisma of Adityanath, the BJP bagged all the nine seats in Gorakhpur district, seven in Kushinagar district and seven in Deoria district. But the party was unable to make a clean sweep in Maharajganj district – out of the five seats, the BJP captured four while the Congress secured victory on one seat.
The alliance with the Nirbal Indian Shoshit Hamara Aam Dal (NISHAD) led by Sanjay Nishad added to the strength of the BJP in checking the Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party from making inroads into the backward and extremely backward community voters.
After the fifth phase polls on February 27, Yogi Adityanath camped in Gorakhpur to give thrust to the BJP campaign. Along with roadshows, he addressed a series of public meetings in most of the assembly segments and highlighted development projects launched by the BJP government in Gorakhpur region.
Adityanath raked up issues like opposition parties fielding Mafiosi in the election, exploitation of weaker sections under the SP and BSP governments, erratic power supply and embezzlement of development funds by opposition parties’ governments. “There was no discrimination under the BJP government, all communities benefitted with welfare schemes,” he emphasised.
The Hindu Yuva Vahini (HYV), which played an important role in Yogi Adityanath’s election campaign in 2004, 2009 and 2014 Lok Sabha elections, was also activated after five years to mobilize Yogi supporters in the four districts of Gorakhpur division.
While Adityanath secured victory on Gorakhpur urban seat by a margin of over 1 lakh votes, the BJP created history by winning the prestigious Chillupar seat, considered the stronghold of former minister Hari Shankar Tiwari known for muscle power.
Earlier, Tiwari had secured victory from Chillupar seat in six consecutive assembly elections while his son Vinay Shankar Tiwari, who contested on SP ticket, won the seat in 2012 and 2017 assembly polls. But BJP candidate Rajesh Tripathi defeated Vinay Shankar Tiwari.
The BJP gamble of changing candidates on Sahjanwa, Khajani and Chauri- Chaura assembly seats paid dividends. All the three - Pradeep Shukla, Sri Ram Chauhan and NISHAD party candidate Sharwan Nishad, who contested the assembly election for the first time, emerged victorious.
Former minister Fateh Bahadur Singh secured victory from Campiyarganj seat, Vimlesh Paswan secured victory from Bansgaon seat, while Bipin Singh won from Gorakhpur rural seat.
The BJP bagged all seven seats in Deoria district, considered a strong socialist fort of the Samajwadi Party.
Agriculture minister Surya Pratap Shahi secured victory from Patherdewa seat, defeating former minister Brahma Shankar Tripathi, BJP candidate Shalabh Mani Tripathi won from Deoria Sadar seat, Deepak Mishra Shaka from Barhaj seat, Jai Pratap Nishad from Rudrapur seat, Suresh Chaurasiya from Rampur Karkhana seat, Sabha Kunwar Kushwaha from Bhatpar Rani seat and Vijay Laxmi from the Salempur seat.
The BJP recorded emphatic victory in Kushinagar where former minister Swami Prasad Maurya and UP Congress Committee president Ajay Kumar Lallu were defeated by BJP candidates.
The BJP made a clean sweep in the land of Gautam Buddha by securing all the seven assembly seats.
Former union minister and Congress rebel RPN Singh’s defection to the BJP added to the strength of the saffron brigade. The SP’s plan to project Swami Prasad Maurya as OBC leader was countered by Singh who has influence over the Kurmi and Sainthwar community voters in the region.
BJP candidate Surendra Kushwaha bagged Fazilnagar seat defeating Swami Prasad Maurya, BJP candidate Manish Jaiswal won from Padrauna seat, NISHAD party candidate Asim Kumar won Tamkuhi Raj seat, Mohan Verma won from Hata seat, Vinay Prakash Gond won Ramkola seat and NISHAD party candidate Vivekanand Pandey secured victory from Khadda seat.
The BJP alliance won four seats in Maharajganj district - Maharajganj Sadar (Nirmesh Mangal), Paniyara (Gyanendra Singh) Siswa (Prem Sagar Patel) and NISHAD party candidate Rishi Tripathi won the Nautanwa seat. Congress candidate Virendra Chaudhary bagged the Pharenda assembly seat.
Political analyst NK Sinha said the massive victory of the BJP in Gorakhpur region added to the strength of Yogi Adityanath. After becoming chief minister in 2017, Adityanath worked for the development of the backward region by launching a slew of development projects. He also launched welfare schemes for the marginalized communities including Tharus, Vantongiyas and Musahars settled in the four districts of Gorakhpur division, he said.
