The SP has crossed the half-way mark in the 2012 U P assembly elections and looks all set to form the next government in the state. While the party has already won 215 seats, it is leading in 10 other seats, taking the total number to 225 as per the tally at around 7 pm.
State unit president Akhilesh Yadav said party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav will be the chief minister.
Akhilesh said the party's Parliamentary Board will meet tomorrow to decide on issues like staking claim before governor B L Joshi to form the next government. "I have answered this question several times.... We all want netaji (Mulayam) as the Chief Minister," Akhilesh said seeking to put a lid on speculation that he would be the next chief minister of the state.
Replying to questions on the possibility of SP seeking support of independent MLAs, the party's state unit chief said his party will not take support of "mafia".
On possibility of removing statues of elephants (BSP's election symbol) as also of outgoing chief minister Mayawati, he said SP has already made it clear that the statues would not be removed.
SP state president and star campaigner for the party Akhilesh Yadav said that after formation of the government, the first priority of the SP would be to provide relief to the farmers through loan waivers and improvement in power supply. He said that the BSP got five years to develop the state but it squandered money on parks and stones. However, he also said that SP will not touch dalit memorials built by Mayawati. "They will be safe," he said.
What seems to have gone in favour of SP is its image makeover by Akhilesh. Previous SP rule in 2003-07 was known for poor law and order but Akhilesh promised to change the order this time. While Mulayam worked to get back muslims who were angry after he shook hands with Kalyan Singh in 2009, Akhilesh worked to woo different castes and communities. He was also able to attract youth.
The BSP is expected to remain second despite a loss of over 100 seats in comparison to the 206 it got in 2007.
Congress and BJP are likely to improve but are fighting for third and fourth place.
Congress's ally RLD is also expected to increase its number.
SP seems to be getting support across the state and all castes and communities, while BSP has suffered losses everywhere but seems to have retained its Dalit base. However, Mayawati's social engineering failed as Brahmins and Muslims do not seem to have vote for BSP in large number as they did in 2007. Congress and BJP seem to have has excelled in some pockets of UP.
While celebrations have begun in SP head quarters in Lucknow, an eerie silence prevailed in BSP head office and gates were closed for visitors. Disappointment was palpable in Congress office, whereas BJP camp was hopeful of getting more than 100 seats, double of what it got in 2007.
Reacting to result trends, SP general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav said that people have voted against five years of misrule in UP. He said that SP is gaining because it took up public cause for five years while sitting in opposition. He said that people also compared SP's previous rule with the present incumbent and found former better.
Congress campaign in UP had created hope of party's revival in the state. The 4.5% quota for minorities helped party to make inroads in Muslim community which can tilt balance iin 140 seats in the state. However, during elections, contradictory statements of Congress leaders on Batla house encounter and infighting damaged party's prospects.
UP Congress president Rita Bahugana Joshi said that though her party does not seems to be doing well, it would improve its tally. She said there is a strong anti-incumbency wave against Mayawati regime.
While UP Congress chief Rita Bahugana Joshi has won from Lucknow Cant, SP's Ravidas Mehrotra has been elected from Lucknow Central.
Congress leader Rajiv Shukla said that Rahul Gandhi created a favourable atmosphere for the party through his work and campaign in UP. But, he said, party could not convert it into seats because of absence of party cadre at the ground level. He claimed that in any case Congress would emerge as key player in UP.
BJP national vice president and candidate from Lucknow East Kalraj Mishra said that party would do better than 2007. He admitted that induction of sacked BSP minister Babu Singh Kushwaha, who is prime accused in NRHM scam and has been arrested by CBI, damaged BJP's prospect upto some extent in UP. Mishra said that though Kushwaha's membership was suspended after stiff opposition of his induction within the party, it dented BJP's attack on Mayawati on the issue of corruption.
The BJP has received a strong drubbing in Lucknow, which used to be its stronghold for long. The party has lost in Lucknow constituency for the first time since 1991. This was the first elections in which former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was not in the picture. And this resulted in crushing defeat for the party.
Only BJP stalwart Kalraj Mishra, who contested from Lucknow East constituency, could manage to win in Lucknow.
The BJP also lost in the rural areas of Lucknow. While Kaushal Kishor of Rashtrawadi Communist Party has won from Malihabad, Chandra Rawat of SP emerged victorious from Mohanlal Ganj and Sharda Pratap Shukla of SP from Sarojininagar.
Uma Bharti, who was brought from Madhya Pradesh to campaign in UP, was fielded by BJP from Charkhari seat in Bundelkhand. Uma factor seems to have worked as BJP is leading in half of total 19 seats in Bundelkhand. Congress also doing well in Bundelkhand. Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi had started his mission UP from Bundelkhand in 2007. He was instrumental in getting over Rs 3000 crore development package for drought prone region.
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