"UP ne kamaal kar diya (UP did an incredible thing)....” That was Congress leader Rahul Gandhi when asked about the Lok Sabha result in Uttar Pradesh. It is, in fact, the “UP ke ladke”, as Rahul and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav are fondly called in UP, who have managed to do the ‘incredible’, stun the BJP despite the Ram temple and the Modi-Yogi double engine hype.
The Congress-SP alliance won 43 of UP’s 80 Lok Sabha seats (SP 37 and Congress six), restricting the BJP-led NDA to just 36 seats in the state, a feat that has huge ramifications. UP had propelled Narendra Modi’s rise to power in 2014, sending 71 BJP MPs to the Lok Sabha; in 2019, it helped him consolidate his grip by electing 62 party candidates, along with two of ally Apna Dal (S). This time, UP was meant to set the ball rolling for an even larger mandate, but that was not to be. Prime Minister Modi’s own victory margin of 152,513 votes in Varanasi—less than a third of the 479,000-odd he got in 2019—was prime evidence of how the BJP had lost the plot in UP.
SAFFRON GETS A SHOCK
Of the 12 members of the Union cabinet who contested again in UP, only five managed a return ticket to Parliament, among them PM Modi and defence minister Rajnath Singh. The list of those who fell by the wayside includes Smriti Irani in Amethi, Ajay Mishra Teni (whose son allegedly mowed down four people during the anti-farm laws protest) in Kheri and Sanjeev Balyan (an accused in the 2013 riots) in Muzaffarnagar. Irani’s defeat summed up the anti-BJP sentiment in some seats. She lost to Gandhi family loyalist Kishori Lal Sharma—who had been informed he was contesting just a day before the nominations—by over 167,000 votes.
Esta historia es de la edición June 17, 2024 de India Today.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición June 17, 2024 de India Today.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
High & Mighty
High And Mighty.
ELECTRIC MAJESTY
THE EQS SUV SETS A NEW STANDARD FOR A LUXURY FAMILY VEHICLE
SMALL IS IN
IT'S SMALL WONDER that when it comes to size, there are such distinct preferences, particularly when it comes to watches.
WHAT'S COOKING?
The new culinary hotspots of gourmet Michelin dining in Hong Kong
NEED OF THE HOUR
Is the tenth time the charm for Apple’s iconic wearable? Let’s clock in.
A Symphony Smoke of and Style
Pairing some of the most feted peated whiskies from India and around the world.
THE TOP SHELF INDIAN SPIRITS
Toasting some of the finest sips from around the country
THAI HIGH
What's it like to stay in the best hotel in the world? Spice spends a decadent weekend at Capella Bangkok, awarded the best hotel in the world by The World's 50 Best Hotels 2024.
OUR FAVORITE F WORDS
Why fashion and food are frolicking together in an epic romance.
Past Perfect
Whether it is to create cultural touchstones, a springboard for creativity, or save the planet, many chefs are revisiting traditional cooking techniques and sustainable practices.