New Delhi, Mar. 10, (dpa/GNA) – India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) looked set on Thursday to retain populous Uttar Pradesh and is leading in regional elections in three other states in what is being seen as an endorsement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity.
A win in Uttar Pradesh, which sends a large number of members to parliament, would come as a boost for Modi and the Hindu nationalist BJP with general elections scheduled in 2024.
The substantial lead in Uttar Pradesh, according to noon trends from the Election Commission, comes despite rising unemployment and inflation with voters supporting the saffron-clad Hindu monk Yogi Adityanath for a second term as chief minister.
Western Uttar Pradesh also saw a prolonged agitation by farmers against a set of laws which the Modi government finally withdrew.
Analysts say the government’s handing out of rations during the Covid-19 pandemic, a crackdown on crime and the BJP’s polarizing of votes on communal lines has helped the Yogi government overcome anti-incumbency.
Both Yogi and Modi are popular figures with a large section of Hindu voters, and measures like building a temple on a razed mosque site, banning the sale of meat at a Hindu pilgrimage centre and a law against conversion have proved popular. Almost 80% of Indians identify as Hin
The BJP was also leading in the states of Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur, though the margins are tighter. The party was in government in all the states except Punjab while going to the hustings.
In Punjab, the newbie Aam Aadmi Party, which governs the territory of Delhi, looked set to sweep with voters appearing to favour a change from the traditional parties.
GNA