Yogi Adityanath faces acid test with UP civic polls next month

Poll results to coincide with 100 days of Yogi rule

Post his elevation as the 21st chief minister of Uttar Pradesh on March 19, Yogi Adityanath would face his first acid test in the forthcoming state urban local bodies polls during June-July.

Although the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has always had an upper hand in the state urban constituencies, the challenge for Adityanath is not only to retain the lead but to better the poll performance, since the party had swept the 2017 UP poll by cornering 325 of the total 403 seats.

At the same time, the Adityanath government would complete its first 100 days in office next month and the chief minister has already asked his ministers to present a White Paper pertaining to progress in their respective departments. Therefore, together the two matrices of the civic poll results and the report card of different ministries would serve as a performance matrix of Adityanath's rule.

BJP’s victory in UP poll had not only propelled the party to power after a gap of 15 years, but it also ended the dominance of regional parties -- Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) -- in the state politics.

The state government is likely to issue notification for the civic polls later this month. An estimated 30 million voters would be eligible to exercise their franchise in these civic polls, which is stipulated to be wrapped up by July 15.

On Tuesday, the Yogi cabinet had decided to create two new municipal corporations viz. Ayodhya Nagar Nigam and Mathura-Vrindavan Nagarm Nigam. This has increased the number of Nagar Nigams in UP to 16.

In all, the state civic polls would be held for 656 posts, including 438 municipal boards, 202 town areas and 16 Nagar Nigams. In 2012, this number was 630. Collectively, 1,024 corporators/members in Nagar Nigams, 5,097 in Nagar Palika Parishad and 5,158 in Nagar Panchayats would be elected.

BJP had swept the 2012 UP urban bodies elections, winning 11 of the 12 mayoral seats. The then ruling Samajwadi Party’s (SP) supported candidate could win the lone remaining mayoral post.

However, BJP can take heart from the fact that both SP and BSP are currently faced with a stinging crisis in their ranks and file.

While SP is battling a vertical and imminent split in the party, BSP is left with the solo credible face of its president and former UP chief minister Mayawati to boot. Yesterday, she sacked her trusted lieutenant and party’s Muslim face Naseemuddin Siddiqui over alleged anti-party and corrupt activities. Earlier, her other close aides had either shunned her or were expelled from the party.

Thus, practically the opposition space in UP is in utter disarray, which presents Yogi and BJP a perfect opportunity to stage another poll victory to keep its winning streak intact after the 2014 Lok Sabha and 2017 UP polls. Congress remains a non-entity in the state politics at present.

Besides, all these parties have announced to fight these polls individually to test the waters, which would further benefit BJP.

Last month, State Election Commissioner S K Agarwal had urged Election Commission (EC) of India to provide Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) for these polls. Later, EC had informed SEC adequate stock of EVMs was available with the Chief Electoral Officer of Madhya Pradesh and that it would be made available to the UP government.