The Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha bye-election results were a “lesson”, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Wednesday, citing over-confidence and the inability to understand the equation between the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) as prime reasons for the BJP’s defeat.
The fact that the BJP lost both the seats — Gorakhpur was vacated by Mr. Adityanath and Phulpur by his Deputy Keshav Prasad Maurya — was a reason for review, the Chief Minister added.
“When the candidates were declared, the SP, the BSP and the Congress were not together... they had not joined hands then. But suddenly in the middle of the election, the SP and the BSP forged an electoral understanding,” he said.
“The over-confidence and inability to understand the electoral understanding between the SP and the BSP led to the defeat,” Mr. Adityanath stressed.
Political bargaining has started in U.P. and people of the State will understand it, he said.
The Chief Minister, who has represented Gorakhpur in the Lok Sabha five times, said local issues led to the party’s poor performance in bye-elections, not the policies of the Centre.
He noted that local issues dominated and voter turnout was also low. “When the general elections are held, there will be national issues. Under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi, there has been a sense of confidence which is prevailing in the country... but all these will be reviewed,” Mr. Adityanath noted.
The election results, he stressed, were a lesson.
