UP civic polls: BJP sweeps cities, Independents rule urban belts outside

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath celebrating victory in Urban, Local body elections at state party head office in Lucknow. (Express photo by Vishal Srivastav)

While BJP has been celebrating its success in the urban local body polls, highlighting its win in 14 of the 16 mayoral seats, it is the Independent candidates who have won the maximum number of seats, leaving the ruling party far behind in nagar panchayats and nagar palika parishads.

Overall, among the 652 urban local bodies which went to polls, BJP bagged 30.8 per cent of the votes, followed by Independents at 20.4 per cent.

Among the 5,433 seats of nagar panchayats members, Independents have won 3,875 seats — 71.31 per cent of the total seats. BJP won only 664 seats with a win percentage of 12.22 per cent. It is followed by Samajwadi Party, which won 453 seats — 8.34 per cent of the total seats. While BSP won 218 seats (4.01 per cent), Congress bagged 126.

Out of the 438 seats of chairpersons of nagar panchayats, Independents have won 182 seats (41.55 per cent) while BJP has won 100 (22.83 per cent). While SP has won 83 seats, BSP has won 45 and Congress 17. Independents have performed better than other parties in nagar palika parishads as well, which cover a larger population than nagar panchayats but less than municipal corporations.

Among the 5,260 wards in 198 nagar palika parishads, Independents have won 3,380 (64.25 per cent). BJP, on the other hand, managed to win 922 wards (17.53 per cent). While SP won 477 wards, BSP emerged victorious in 262 and Congress in 158.

(Graphical representation)

Among the posts of chairpersons of 198 nagar palika parishads, while BJP has won 70 and SP 45, Independent candidates bagged 43 seats, followed by BSP and Congress. Among 1,299 seats of municipal corporators, BJP won 596, the most, but independents managed to win 224 — more than any other party. Asked about the performance of Independent candidates, BJP state spokesperson Chandra Mohan said the party had not fielded candidates on several seats. “But among all parties, which contested on their respective symbols, BJP has won maximum number of seats with huge difference,” he added.

SP state spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary said, “BJP wants to do politics by hiding the figures. It has lost badly in nagar palika parishad and nagar panchayats.” On Independents performing better than SP candidates, Chaudhary said: “That is okay but the main thing is that BJP has lost badly.”