How Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati's mistakes helped Modi win UP polls

ELECTION NEWS - There is more to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mind-boggling sweep in the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections than can be explained by factors like his persona, Modi’s aggressive, high profile campaign in the state, the caste configuration of the state or for that matter, the communal turn of his campaign.

Perhaps, the win is also a consequence of the sustained attacks that the Akhilesh Yadav-Rahul Gandhi duo and BSP supremo Mayawati launched against some of Modi’s policies.

Gandhi’s outburst against the army’s surgical strikes on terror camps along the Line of Control – which he termed as “khoon ki dalaali” – went against the nationalist sentiments of even those who do not subscribe to the saffron ideology. In one stroke, Gandhi lost much of the steam he’d generated through his aggressive efforts to rejuvenate the Congress in UP.

However, it was Gandhi, Yadav and Mayawati’s tirade against demonetisation that served as an even bigger boon for Modi.

Without making any effort to see the ground reality, these leaders went on a Modi bashing spree – that evidently proved counter-productive and paid Modi dividends that surprised him as much as those who voted for him.(READ MORE)

2017 polls: 'Modi wave' is alive and kicking

UP ELECTION RESULT 2017 - With gruelling elections in five states, including Uttar Pradesh, now over, the popular discourse has now shifted to predicting the poll results, which anyhow would be out in the open tomorrow.

While most exit polls have accorded the edge in poll outcome to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), barring Punjab, the results nonetheless would be analysed in the context of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

BJP’s biggest mass leader to date, Modi had crisscrossed the poll-bound states of UP, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa and Manipur, over the last two months to consolidate the party’s core votes. However, he had invested maximum energies in the crucial state of UP, which returns 403 legislators to the state assembly.

Although Modi was not a candidate himself, the polls were largely played on the theme of ‘Modi versus all’ in all these states, especially UP.

In the backdrop of demonetisation, the polls are being seen as virtual referendum on Modi’s three-year rule at the Centre and the impact of the demonetisation decision.

BJP has swept all the local bodies polls held across the states after demonetisation, which implied that the majority of people had stood up for the purported anti-corruption move and that the perception of Modi’s personal integrity was uncompromised.(READ MORE)

Mayawati chides 'babua' Akhilesh for 'childish talk' on jumbo statues

UP ELECTION RESULT 2017 - BSP chief Mayawati on Thursday took a swipe at Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav for his continued attack on the elephant statues set up by her government, saying he was indulging in "childish talk".

"Just as Mulayam Singh Yadav (a former defence minister) speaks of China at any given opportunity, his 'babua' (child), Akhilesh, has nothing to tell people except for patharwali sarkar," Mayawati told a press conference here.

"Everyone knows that the stone statue of elephant will remain in the same position...This is why I call him babua, as only a babua can say something like this. He is indulging in childish talk," Mayawati asserted.

"Even a small kid will be able to tell this. He (Akhilesh) is the father of kids and yet talking like this," she said.

Mayawati said people wanted to question the SP government on issues of "mafiaraj, gundaraj, jungleraj and anarchy" but instead he wanted to indulge in politics of stone.

She, however, thanked the "babua" for talking about the elephants as he was giving free publicity to her party's election symbol.

Mayawati also raked up SP patron Mulayam Singh Yadav's invite to Modi and other BJP leaders to attend a family wedding function in Saifai, and alleged that SP and BJP had a tacit understanding.(READ MORE)

Assembly Elections 2017 LIVE: SP-Cong, BSP, AAP Reject Exit Poll Verdict

Exit Polls 2017: Advantage BJP in UP but Modi may fall short of majority

UP ELECTION RESULT 2017 - Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party is well ahead of rivals in an election in the country's most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, but may fall short of an absolute majority, four major exit polls showed on Thursday.

Victory for Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Uttar Pradesh, which is home to 220 million people, would boost his chances of winning the 2019 general election and underscore his popularity after he made himself the face of the party's campaign.

The prime minister would also see success as vindication of his sudden decision in November to abolish high-denomination banknotes to rein in corruption.


The move was seen as politically risky, because most transactions in India are carried out in cash and millions of Indians were forced to join long queues outside banks to deposit their old bills or get hold of new ones.

Indian elections are notoriously hard to call, and polls taken before and after voting are often wrong. Pollsters were left red-faced in 2015 after mistakenly predicting a BJP win in the state of Bihar.

Results in Uttar Pradesh, as well as four other state ballots, will be announced on Saturday.(READ MORE)

Exit Polls 2017 LIVE: Market Sees UP Results As Litmus Test For BJP

Exit polls predict BJP win in UP, but Dalal St euphoria to fade away soon

UP ELECTION 2017 RESULT - Exit polls have predicted a victory for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the key state of Uttar Pradesh (UP) that is being dubbed as the semi–final to the 2019 general elections, and appeared to be too close to call.

Over the past few sessions, the markets have been moving sideways, consolidating the 9% gain made thus far in calendar year 2017. Analysts say the outcome could create distractions (or positives) for the government and will be interpreted as a referendum on the government’s demonetisation drive.

Here is a quick compilation of what the leading market experts think about the possible outcome and its implication for the economy and markets:

G. CHOKKALINGAM, FOUNDER & MANAGING DIRECTOR OF EQUINOMICS RESEARCH & ADVISORY

The exit polls have predicted significant improvement for the ruling party at the Centre. If this prediction becomes true, it could be sentimentally positive for the equity markets for a week or so. However, in our view, fundamentally speaking, whether the ruling party wins or loses, it doesn’t have significant relevance for the markets.(READ MORE)

Exit Polls 2017 LIVE: Sensex Sees UP Results As Litmus Test For BJP