BJP’s Tejpal Nagar wins Dadri assembly seat in UP by 1.38 lakh votes

Fondly known as Tejpal Master, Nagar had secured 141,226 votes in the 2017 assembly polls and won by a margin of 80,000. He outperformed himself this time around by getting 218,068 votes. His vote percentage also increased from 53.2% to 61.4%

Mirroring the winning trend across Uttar Pradesh, BJP’s Tejpal Nagar emerged victorious from the Dadri assembly constituency on Thursday. He defeated Samajwadi Party’s national spokesperson Raj Kumar Bhati by a margin of 138,218 votes.

After being declared the winner, Tejpal Nagar celebrated an early Holi with his supporters. (Sunil Ghosh / HT Photo)

With a total of 605,431 voters, Dadri assembly segment had recorded a voter turnout of 59.7% in the first phase of elections held on February 10. According to official data, the total number of valid votes polled was 351,744, the total number of NOTA votes were 2,033 and the total rejected votes stood at 274 in this constituency at Gautam Budh Nagar district.

Fondly known as Tejpal Master, Nagar had secured 141,226 votes in the 2017 assembly polls and won by a margin of 80,000. He outperformed himself this time around by getting 218,068 votes. His vote percentage also increased from 53.2% to 61.4%.

Around 3pm, Nagar arrived at the vote counting hall situated in the flower market at Sector 88. Hundreds of his supporters chanted slogans outside till the final results were declared. After being declared the winner, he celebrated an early Holi with his supporters.

Flanked by supporters outside the vote counting hall, the BJP leader said that he did not expect to win by such a huge margin.

“I am overwhelmed by all the love showered on me by the people of Dadri constituency. I believe people have voted for the ‘double engine ki sarkar’ and this vote is for our chief minister Yogi Adityanath and Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” Nagar said.

Nagar added that the win certifies that his work in the constituency has been appreciated by the voters and he will continue to work for development in the next five years.

“There cannot be a bigger certificate of approval from the constituency’s people than this landslide victory for me. This goes to show that my hard work for the people has not gone to waste. The people have once again shown that ‘bullets and guns’ culture is a thing of the past and UP only wants development and welfare,” said Nagar.

SP candidate Bhati was gracious in his defeat and said, “I am thankful to those who supported me. By remaining in the opposition, I will work for them and others as well.”

Bhati is a former journalist and a professor at Vijay Singh Pathik college in Dadri.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission of India removed the blanket ban on victory processions on Thursday, following which at 6.30pm, hundreds of BJP supporters and party workers started a march from the counting centre in Noida towards Dadri.

“Tejpal Nagar was felicitated at the BJP’s Surajpur office following which the procession crossed Kulasehra, Tilapta and ultimately ended at Dadri. Master ji visited a temple in Jarcha to seek the blessings of the almighty after which celebrations continued at his residence in Akilpur Jagir village in Dadri,” said Satypal Sharma, a BJP party worker.

Political analysts say that the narrative of a ‘double engine sarkar’ has led to the BJP’s sweeping victory.

“The big narrative of ‘double engine sarkar’ has been endorsed by the voters. They feel that having the same party in state and at the centre is good for development. Moreover, SP was largely banking on the alliance factor,” said Sanjay Kumar from the Centre for Society and Development Studies.