Yogi Adityanath swings votes for NDA in Bihar with 67% strike rate

LUCKNOW: The NDA's performance in Bihar polls has once again trained the political spotlight on BJP’s saffron mascot and UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath whose campaigning skills worked remarkably in favour of the BJP-JD(U) combine.
Results show that out of the 18 seats where Yogi campaigned in three phases, the NDA candidates won or leading on 12, which is a strike rate of approximately 67%. Yogi campaigned in Bakhtiyarpur, Bisfi, Katihar, Kewati, Sitamarhi, Raxaul, Valmikinagar, Jhanjharpur, Lalganj, Daraundha, Jamui, Karakat, Garia Kothi, Siwan, Arwal, Paliganj, Terari and Ramgarh. Out of them, but for Daraundha, Karakat, Arwal, Paliganj, Tarari and Ramgarh, the NDA candidates were set to win the rest.
Results showed that of the six seats which BJP and its allies could not win, four were going to CPI (ML) (Liberation) which was part of the RJD-led Mahagathbandhan, while RJD was poised to win Bakhtiyarpur and Ramgarh. In Ramgarh, though, there was still a nail-biting contest going on, with the BJP candidate a close third.
BJP sources said that the results on the seats where Yogi campaigned has once established his status of a star campaigner who has the ability to swing votes. “He is not only an able administrator but has also been one of the fiercest leaders who had the ability to sway voters irrespective of the caste lines,” said UP BJP chief Swatantra Dev Singh. BJP sources said the Yogi is expected to be roped in by the party in the forthcoming assembly elections in West Bengal before the high stake UP assembly elections.
Political observers pointed out how Yogi was able to connect with the people of Bihar by calling the poll bound state as `Sita ka Maika’ (Sita’s hometown) and how the BJP kept its poll promise of initiating construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
All through his campaign in Bihar, Yogi sharpened his attack on grand alliance CM’s face Tejashwi Yadav accusing him of making a hollow poll promise of providing 10 lakh government jobs if voted to power. Yogi, political analysts said, managed to remind the voters of the 15-year rule of the RJD while accusing of not being able to provide jobs to the youth.
“He was successful in reminding people about the 15-year misrule of RJD between 1990 and 2005 which was also embroiled in the fodder scam,” a senior BJP leader said. Yogi had also invoked the citizenship act at the peak of his campaign in what was seen as a move aimed to swing the electoral mood in favour of the BJP led NDA.