New Delhi
Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath projecting himself as the PM after Narendra Modi is alarmed over the BJP’s dismal performance in the recent Panchayat elections, causing him worries on the prospects of losing the Assembly election in the state just 9 months away.
The Panchayat elections showed the mood of the rural masses who outnumber the urban population in a large number. The elections are not fought on the partylines, but it was the bravado of Yogi to declare the BJP candidates to show his influence. Alas, the saffron party came second behind the Samajwadi Party, which was in power under Akhilesh Yadav until the last elections in 2017.
UP is the largest state sending the highest number of 80 MPs to the Lok Sabha as against Maharashtra being another state to elect the second highest 48 MPs to the Lok Sabha. The BJP had bagged 62 of the 80 seats from UP in the last election and so UP remains crucial for Modi in 2024 if he has to make the hat-trick to be in power.
The BJP was unable to win in Varanasi, the district of PM, Ayodhya, Mathura, and Prayagraj, and not even in Gorakhpur, the fiefdom of the Yogi. He was so upset he allowed release of the results only 3 days after the counting last Sunday.
New village pradhan dies in Sambhal: A newly-elected village pradhan in Sambhal succumbed to virus at a hospital here, officials said on Saturday. Health Department Nodal officer Manoj Chaudhary said on Friday evening, Harpal Singh (52) died at a Covid hospital in Narauli. On Thursday, two new village pradhans in Asmoli block died.
