It's Brand Yogi In UP

The results of the local body elections in Uttar Pradesh prove yet again that the Yogi factor remains strong in the state.

- Prashant Srivastava

With the chief minister himself leading the campaign, addressing 50 rallies in 13 days, the BJP swept the urban areas, winning all 17 mayoral seats, and improved its performance in the nagar panchayat parishads (191 out of 544 seats) and nagar palika parishads (87 of 199 seats). The three-tiered local body elections were held in two phases in the first half of May. As votes from a 53 per cent turnout (of the state's 43.2 million eligible voters) were counted, the Karnataka results declared the same day might as well have been happening in another galaxy. UP was in its own orbit.

The Samajwadi Party (SP), the main opposition party, drew a blank in the mayoral seats but managed to get chairperson posts in 35 nagar palikas and 78 nagar panchayats. The BSP won 15 nagar palikas and 37 nagar panchayats, and the Congress four and 14, respectively. The rest went to smaller parties and independents.