The manner in which the state BJP leadership conducted itself during recently concluded UP Council polls also unnerved the central party leaders. The party leaders now question when there was a shortfall of 21 MLAs, what was the need by the party bosses of announcing the second candidate.

It would be worth mentioning here that BJP had strength of 41 MLAs and total votes required for first candidate was 32 and there was need of 23 MLAs. Even then the BJP announced its second candidate opening the way for buying candidates to ensure victory. Finally, the BJP could get only 17 votes and the candidate was defeated exposing the total mishandling of the situation by the UP state leadership.

The state BJP leadership was accused of total mismanagement and some leaders said that it was foolish to put up second candidate when there was little i support to ensure his victory.

Significantly, ruling Samajwadi Party and BSP succeeded in getting their extra candidates with the support of RLD, Congress and independents

BJP had earlier received jolt when party lost nine MLAs in by-elections held after Lok Sabha elections in 2014 where the party had got 72 seats out of the total of 80.

More recently BJP received set back when party candidates lost in cantonment boards polls in .Varanasi and Lucknow.

Loss in Varanasi cantonment polls was also reflection of people’s anger against sitting MP and Prime minister Narendra Modi and in Lucknow it was reflection on Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

BJP had taken these polls very seriously. That was why in Lucknow, state president Luxmikant Vajpai and Pankaj Singh son of Rajnath Singh had campaigned for party candidates who were defeated.

Political observers feel that BJP was exposed with the series of defeats in polls conducted in the state after Lok Sabha polls in Uttar Pradesh.

Tall claim of state president that 150 MLAs of ruling party were in touch with BJP and Akhilesh Yadav government could fall anytime was also exposed when party could not get support from any MLA from the opposition parties and the second BJP candidate was defeated.

Senior BJP leaders now want that BJP national president Amit Shah should take interest and rebuild the party organization in the state to face 2017 polls or it would be very difficult to face Samajwadi party and BSP.

As regards SP, things have improved and the Akhilesh Yadav Government is showing signs of activity in implementing the programmes. Akhilesh is touring a lot and he is in touch with the industry people for speeding up the industrialization in the state. Many leading industrialists of the country are taking interest in investing in Uttar Pradesh and they are in touch with the Chief Minister. Of late, there has been a positive perception about the investment climate in UP and that has given a big jolt to the state BJP’s hopes of campaign against the SP Government with an eye on 2017 assembly polls.

The SP has galvanized its support base at grass roots level and this is in contrast to the utter directionlessness among the BJP ranks. As of now, Akhilesh has the advantage and BJP leadership in Uttar Pradesh has to do lot of hard work organizationally to combat the SP in the coming days. Just announcements from the party offices in Lucknow and Delhi are not going to bring any benefit to the BJP. (IPA)