UP civic polls: Yogi Adityanath's first big test after Assembly victory

Political parties in Uttar Pradesh are currently gearing up for the urban local body polls. These civic polls, likely to be held by the end of this year, will not only reinvigorate the cadre of different outfits but also test their poll preparedness in the run-up to the high-octane general elections in 2024.

In the 2017 UP urban local bodies polls, about 30 million voters were eligible to exercise their franchise. In all, elections were held for 652 posts in 438 nagar panchayats (municipal boards), 198 nagar palika parishad (town areas), and 16 nagar nigams (municipal corporations).

The 16 corporations comprised then newly constituted Ayodhya Nagar Nigam and Mathura-Vrindavan Nagar Nigam, which were formed by the Yogi Adityanath government 1.0.
 

While the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) wrested 14 of the 16 mayoral seats of the municipal corporations, Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) candidates were elected on two — Aligarh and Meerut.

Similarly, the BJP had won 47 nagar palika parishad chairperson posts, followed by the Samajwadi Party (SP) 29, the BSP 18, and the Congress 5; the remaining seats were won by rebel and independent candidates.

In the lowest tier of 438 nagar panchayat chairperson posts, BJP nominees emerged victorious on 81 seats, followed by the SP (67), the BSP (34), and the Congress (15). The rest were accounted for by independents or candidates fielded by smaller outfits.

Considering these civil polls are the first major elections after the BJP retained power in March 2022, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath carries the burden of high expectations to deliver once again for the national party.

The ruling BJP is confident of bettering its 2017 performance, especially with the new UP party chief, Bhupendra Chaudhary, at the helm of affairs.

Moreover, Opposition parties are digging in their heels to give a tough fight and try to queer the pitch for the BJP over the issues of inflation and unemployment, ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha contest.

Senior UP BJP leader Chandra Mohan said the Adityanath government has performed successfully on all fronts, including urban development and redevelopment of big cities. “The state government has worked tirelessly to make UP cities world-class and endow them with modern civic amenities. We have not only ensured the beautification of cities, but have laid down a robust foundation for future growth,” he told Business Standard, adding the BJP will top the leaderboard.

Mohan maintained that the BJP treated every election as a veritable festival of democracy, and that the UP urban local bodies elections would serve as a perfect platform to enthuse the party rank and file.

Traditionally, the BJP has been considered potent in the state urban constituencies, yet the ever-changing dynamics of elections and possible pre-poll alliances of Opposition forces may still disturb its poll calculations.

Interestingly, the Congress, whose chips have been down owing to a spate of high-profile exits at the national and state levels over the past years, is eagerly looking at the elections to fine-tune its organisational set-up.

Currently, the grand old party is in the process of constituting booth-level committees and shortlisting candidates.

UP Congress leader Anshu Dwivedi claimed the state’s people were fed up with the misrule of the BJP and were now seeking a political alternative to it. “The people are desperate to get rid of the BJP, owing to runaway inflation, rampant unemployment, and divisive political discourse. We are confident that voters will support the Congress and give a strong message to the ruling party before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls,” he said.

The BSP, too, is silently working at the grassroots level to make its presence felt in the civic polls and expand its cadre pool in UP, which sends the maximum number of 80 Lok Sabha members to Parliament.

A senior BSP member said the party would contest the civic polls with full preparations and fervour. “Different civic poll panels are being constituted and the process of finalisation of candidates is underway. Whether it is the municipal corporation or the nagar palika or nagar panchayat elections, the BSP will offer a tough fight to opponents,” he asserted.

Smaller regional parties, too, are lining up to claim their share of the civic electoral pie. For example, the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP), which earlier this year snapped ties with the Akhilesh Yadav-led SP, is gearing up for the polls, too.

SBSP leader Arun Rajbhar said the party would contest the elections and consolidate its vote bank. “In the previous polls, we had won 5 nagar president posts, while our candidates clinched nearly 75 corporator seats. Our preparations are in full swing and almost 70 per cent of the homework ahead of the civic polls is already over,” he added.