Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
Credit: PTI Photo
Lucknow: The BJP government in Uttar Pradesh and the party organisation complemented each other for the party's impressive bypoll wins in the state, with key leaders attributing the win to a combination of organisational outreach and government performance.
While Uttar Pradesh BJP chief Bhupendra Chaudhary credited the win to the policies and leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the chief minister and his ministers didn't fail to return the compliment by recognising the contribution of the organization and the party's foot soldiers for the achievement.
The BJP won six of the nine assembly seats while its ally RLD won one, with the opposition Samajwadi Party winning the remaining two.
"I think there was hardly any seat, any booth that UP BJP general secretary (organization) Dharampal Singh didn't cover. In fact, he also took care of panna pramukhs," said Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, revealing how the BJP micro managed the entire campaign.
Panna pramukh refers to a person deployed to connect with the voters mentioned in a page of the voters' list.
The fact that both the party and the organisation spoke as one was significant given the opposition accusations of the "party and the government falling apart" after the reverses that the BJP suffered in Uttar Pradesh in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
In the run up to the bypolls, Samajwadi Party (SP)chief Akhilesh Yadav had even alleged that "Delhi and UP's deputy were against the CM" to play up the charge of "all is not well" in the BJP and the UP government. While Delhi was intended to mean the party high command, the 'deputy' reference was for Maurya.
However, both Adityanath and Maurya unitedly targeted the SP on Saturday. Adityanath even echoed Maurya's line of winning the Karhal assembly seat in 2027 UP polls, saying, "As Keshav ji has rightly pointed out, we will win the Karhal seat next time." While Adityanath and other key ministers and leaders went around the constituencies for campaign, 10 people were deployed in each booth to ensure that the party supporters came out to vote on the day of polling, a senior leader told PTI.
"Party cadres were assigned specific tasks in each assembly segment four months in advance to ensure booth-level management," the leader said, wishing not to be named.
At the press conference, Chaudhary credited the result to the extensive groundwork laid by party workers, who highlighted the developmental work of the state government over the past seven and a half years.
"I respect the decision of the great people of Uttar Pradesh. They have expressed their trust in Modi ji, Yogi ji and the policies of the BJP. Our public and poverty welfare initiatives will continue with full strength," Chaudhary said.
The Muslim-dominated Kundarki constituency in Moradabad district emerged as the party's standout performance, where BJP's lone Hindu candidate Ramveer Singh won by a whopping margin of 1.40 lakh votes.
Chaudhary cited the Kundarki win as "public endorsement" of Modi's vision of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas'.
"This is also a slap on the face of those who indulge in caste, region and religion-based politics," he said.
Addressing a press conference at the BJP's UP headquarters in Lucknow, Adityanath lauded the collective efforts of the party organisation, calling the victory a reflection of the government's delivery on promises.
"BJP and ally RLD have together secured over 52 per cent of the votes in these bypolls. This result demonstrates the people's acknowledgment of our governance and policies," he said.
Deputy Chief Ministers Maurya and Brajesh Pathak echoed these sentiments, highlighting the seamless coordination between the party and the government.
Maurya acknowledged the role of BJP general secretary (organisation) Dharampal Singh, who, he claimed, visited every booth and 'panna pramukh' to mobilise workers at every level.
"This is a historic victory. Those who called this a semi-final of 2027 have been left disappointed," Maurya said while also expressing optimism about the BJP's prospects in the Samajwadi Party strongholds like Karhal in the next assembly elections.
Adityanath supported Maurya's assertion, pointing out that the SP's victory margins in bastions such as Karhal and Sishamau have significantly reduced since 2022.
"The statistics make it clear that the BJP is gaining ground in these areas. What Keshav Ji has said about the lotus blooming there in 2027 is backed by data," the chief minister said.
The press conference was followed by celebrations at the BJP headquarters.