While BJP appears to be the major gainer in the state as per exit poll predictions, the results will force three prime minister candidates from UP Rahul Gandhi, Mulayam Singh and Mayawati for serious introspection to find out to why their parties could not connect with voters.

The loss of Samajwadi Party seats from 23 in 2009 to present tally would be a reflection of great anti-incumbency against Akhilesh Yadav government, which completed two years in the office.

People of UP had given unprecedented mandate to Samajwadi Party with more then 220 seats in UP Assembly in 2012 with a hope of getting better government.

But Akhilesh Yadav government betrayed the trust and confidence of the people and UP deterioration in law and order situation and large-scale corruption in the bureaucracy. ‘Ummeed ki cycle puncture ho gayi’ – that is how people describe Samajwadi Party government in the state. It would be worth mentioning here that Akhilesh Yadav had raised the slogan for his campaign as Ummeed ki Cycle for the symbol of his party in 2012 election campaign.

Akhilesh Yadav government is also being blamed for communal polarisation in the state because of vicious riots in Muzaffarnagar and other places. The government is also being held responsible for mishandling of situation after the riots in the state.

Aggressive Muslim card played by Samajwadi Party national president Mulayam Singh Yadav when he decided to contest from Azamgarh and controversial speeches by cabinet minister Mohd Azam Khan also helped in polarisation in favour of Hindu votes for BJP in eastern UP where party will get more seats this time.

The political analysts feel that while Mulayam Singh Yadav had made his son Akhilesh Yadav chief minister, he could not give him a free hand and kept the remote control with him which created more crisis in governance in UP.

Since Mulayam Singh Yadav was busy in perusing his long cherished dream to become prime minister, he could not get time to look into day-to-day governance in UP. In 2004 also, Mulayam Singh Yadav was busy nurturing his prime ministerial ambitions dream and neglected the government. As a result, his party was voted out of power in 2007 assembly polls.

There are speculations in UP that after the results are announced, Mulayam Singh Yadav may once again become the chief minister paving the way for his chief minister son to rebuild the party organisation. There is no doubt that there would be major reshuffle in the Akhilesh Yadav government, bureaucracy and the party in near future.

Congress prime ministerial candidate Rahul Gandhi will have to do serious introspection for decline in fortune of the party in the state despite it doing well in 2009 Lok Sabha polls. It would be worth mentioning that Congress had won 22 seats in Lok Sabha from UP.

The political analysts feel that it is high time Gandhi family should realise that voters cannot be taken for ride again and again people want delivery.

Already several senior Congress leaders have started writing about the problems being faced by state unit of the party which include total disconnect of party workers with senior leaders, sale of party positions and poor distribution of tickets and irresponsible statements by senior leaders including union ministers and large scale infighting are few reasons as to why party failed to perform in these elections. Senior leaders are openly saying that they would not hesitate in writing letters to Sonia and Rahul about the causes for decline of party in the state and are prepared to say publicly as well as without fear of consequences. So Congress high command should be prepared lot many voices coming from UP in near future.

Bahujan Samaj Party national president Mayawati is also in trouble with the possible erosion of her core voters for BJP this time and will have to review whether her social engineering card will ever work or not. There are reports that core voters of BSP cultivated by late Kanshi Ram and Mayawati for last several decades experienced erosion with shift toward BJP all over the state, which resulted in loss of seats for party.

But on the other hand there are reports that once Mulayam Singh Yadav decided to contest from Azamgarh to improve his party’s position in 23 Lok Sabha seats of eastern UP and played aggressive Muslim card to consolidate Muslim and Yadav combine formula for his benefit, BSP supremo decided to shift her voters to BJP to stop Mulayam and his party getting good number of seats from this region.

Political analysts feel that core dalits voters were unhappy with Mayawati with the manner in which she played aggressive upper caste card by giving maximum number of tickets to Brahmins followed by thakurs and upper caste people. (IPA Service)