Uttar Pradesh Assembly Elections 2022: BJP, CM Yogi break all records with party’s victory

Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath created several records as the party retained power in the electorally crucial Uttar Pradesh decimating the Congress and Bahujan Samaj Party and smashing hopes of Samajwadi Party which had formed an alliance with smaller parties.

Yogi Adityanath is the first chief minister of state who returned to power after completing a five-year term. It was after 37 years that a party retained power in Uttar Pradesh. Yogi Adiyanath is the first Chief Minister in 15 years to have contested an assembly election.

Yogi Adityanath is also the first BJP chief minister to be re-elected for the second term. Party`s other three chief ministers - Kalyan Singh, Ram Prakash Gupta and Rajnath Singh - could not return to power. Yogi Adityanath also demolished the perceived "jinx" that was linked to the visit of incumbent chief minister to Noida. It was assumed that a chief minister who visits the city is not re-elected.

The state chief minister’s were seen to avoid a visit to Noida. Akhilesh Yadav had skipped Asian Development Bank (ADB) summit in Noida during the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as the chief guest. Akhislesh Yadav had inaugurated Yamuna Expressway in 2012 from Lucknow despite the project running from Greater Noida to Agra.

Yogi Adiyanath, along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had visited Noida for the inauguration of Delhi Metro’s Magenta Line in 2017. The Prime Minister had lauded Yogi Adiyanath for "dismissing the superstition".The jinx rumour apparently originated in 1988 after then chief minister Veer Bahadur Singh had to step down a few days after his return from Noida.

The BJP is poised to win 256 seats in the 403 member Uttar Pradesh assembly with its allies also winning over 15 seats.