PEOPLE IN INDIA’S LARGEST STATE HARDLY SURPRISED BY SHOCKING DEFEAT OF HINDUTVA PARTY IN UTTAR PRADESH BY-POLLS
Ghazanfar Abbas | Caravan Daily
LUCKNOW – Although there has been much talk about the BJP not fielding “right candidates” for its humiliating defeat in its traditional bastion of Gorakhpur and Phulpur, the rout of the saffron party in these two all-important parliamentary seats is not all that surprising for the majority of people in Uttar Pradesh.
Even random interaction with ordinary people from various background in the state’s capital is enough to show that the BJP has lost the people’s trust within a year of its sweeping victory in March last year and government formation led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
“This result was not shocking to us at all. The performance of Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya is not good. Common people are unable to take any loans but the rich get them easily only to run away with them,” Sandeep Dixit, a surgical appliances seller in Lucknow’s Chowk told Caravan Daily.
Vox Populi on UP By-poll Defeat of BJP
Vox Populi on UP By-poll Defeat of BJP: “I am not surprised at BJP’s defeat. Their defeat in Phulpur was certain as people were not at all satisfied with work of Keshav Prasad Maurya. They lost Gorakhpur because Yogi was not there,” says Sandip Dixit, surgical appliance shop owner.
Posted by Caravandaily on Saturday, 17 March 2018
When asked about the performance of Adityanath as Chief Minster in relation with By Polls result, Dixit said, “Since the BJP came to power, whether in the centre or in the state, it is only playing politics. They are not doing any work.”
Commenting on the performance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said, “This Prime Minister is only asking for votes all the time. There is nothing happening in economic terms.”
K L Shukla, a marketing professional said, “There are two major reasons behind BJP’s defeat – one is low voting and the second is its overconfidence.”
He however expressed confidence that the coalition of the Samajwadi Party-Bahujan Samajwadi Party will not affect the BJP’s chances much in 2019 general elections.
Vox Populi on UP By-poll Defeat of BJP
Vox Populi on UP By-poll Defeat of BJP: “People support politicians as long as they genuinely work for them. BJP lost because people could not see any work on ground,” says Vinod, e-Rickshaw driver.
Posted by Caravandaily on Saturday, 17 March 2018
In a major setback to the BJP, it lost both seats to the Samajwadi Party, backed by its otherwise bitter foe BSP after their recent coalition.
Adityanath and Maurya vacated the Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha seats respectively after being elected to the Uttar Pradesh Assembly. The Gorakhpur seat had been won by CM Adityanath for five straight terms.
The surge in crime and unemployment and hateful, offensive language used by BJP leaders are also considered factors responsible for its defeat.
Irfan, a sanitary shop owner in Ameenabad said, “This defeat is a response to their (BJP’s) hooliganism. People are in distress because there is so much unemployment and crime everywhere. If the BJP had done some work, it would not have been defeated from both seats.”
He also believes that the SP-BSP coalition will continue in the future and affect elections in 2019.
Laxman who sells flags of political parties behind the BJP headquarters near the State Assembly said, “People voted against the BJP in anger because the language used by BJP leaders for various sections of the society in the past was derogatory. So people got offended.”
Vox Populi on UP By-poll Defeat of BJP
Vox Populi on UP By-poll Defeat of BJP: “The defeat is because of their goondaism. People are angry, there is no work and business has been ruined. There is rise in robbery as there is rise in unemployment,” says Irfan, sanitary shop owner.
Posted by Caravandaily on Saturday, 17 March 2018
Vinod who worked as tailor but due to adverse effect of GST (Goods & Service Tax) now drives an E-Riksha said, “If they (BJP) resolve the issues of people, it could still get their support. If they work in the interest of people then only they will survive in politics.”
He also thinks that the coalition of SP-BSP is here to stay.
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Raza Husain who runs a courier service in Nakhkhas shares his view: “These results of Gorakhpur and Phulpur are not surprising at all. If the SP-BSP coalition manages to survive till next year, it will have an impact on 2019 elections.”
Vikas Tiwari, a ‘chikan’ worker blamed the BJP’s insincerity towards development for its rout.
“They got defeated because of their poor performance on the development front,” Tiwari said.
Some believe that the BJP deliberately lost the by-polls for some puzzling reasons and that the SP-BSP coalition will have little effect over the next Lok Sabha elections.
“The BJP lost these two seats intentionally because they were being accused of tampering with electronic voting machines. the BJP wanted to show the people that the accusation is baseless,” Amit Rastogi, a cloth shop owner in Nakhkhas said.
In old Lucknow, bookseller Santosh Gupta said, “There will be no major effect of the SP-BSP alliance in 2019 general elections although the BJP may lose some seats.”