BJP Turns The Tables In UP Zila Parishads
Editor-in-Chief of indiacommentary.com. Current Affairs analyst and political commentator.
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By Sunil Garodia
First publised on 2021-07-04 13:34:54
About the Author
Editor-in-Chief of indiacommentary.com. Current Affairs analyst and political commentator.
View all posts by this Author
Just two months ago, BJP had suffered a setback in the panchayat polls when candidates supported by it managed to win in just 900 zila panchayat wards, while Samajvadi Party candidates won in 1000 wards and Bahujan Samaj Party 300, with a huge number of independents winning most of the remaining wards. Yet, when the elections for the chairpersonship of Zila Parishads were held a couple of days back, the tables were completely turned. In May, the SP had put up a good fight and candidates backed by it had won in many BJP strongholds. Commentators (including yours truly) had seen it as a warning signal for the BJP. The results were widely seen as loss of support for the party in the rural areas. But it was known that many BJP candidates had contested as independents on being denied party support and had won. They were expected to come back to the fold. That is what happened and the partyâs back channel negotiations with other independents also bore fruit for the BJP to win a total of 66 out of 75 chairperson posts, 45 in elections for 53 seats and 21 unopposed.
This is a big victory for the party ahead of the state elections next year. The control of Zila Parishads gives a party a huge hold over the rural votes. Some hopes had rekindled for Akhilesh Yadav when many SP candidates won in the panchayat polls. But like always, he has been outsmarted, outmaneuvered and pipped to the post in the posts which truly matter. The BJP state machinery has complete control over the poll dynamics in UP. Since the SP and the BSP are at loggerheads (some reports suggest that Mayawatiâs BSP candidates supported the BJP and there was cross voting from SP candidates too), they are in no position to counter it. The BJP is taking full advantage of the situation and the managing of the Zila Parishad chairperson elections is convincing proof of that.
