Elections 2022 Results Live Updates: The BJP raced towards a second straight win in politically crucial Uttar Pradesh and dominated the score chart in three other states while the Aam Aadmi Party announced its national presence with a landslide victory in Punjab, its triumph redrawing India's political map and diminishing the Congress even further.
As votes were counted on Thursday for elections to five states held over February and March, the four-one score for India's ruling party underscored its political prowess. The BJP was also ahead in Uttarakhand, Manipur and Goa, according to trends and results on the Election Commission website.
The Congress' epitaph was written on the electoral battlefield. The party, now in power only in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, an all-time low, lost Punjab and won only two seats in Uttar Pradesh with a vote share of just 2.3 per cent -- notwithstanding the high-decibel campaign by the Gandhi siblings Rahul and Priyanka.
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The grand old party of Indian politics yet again failed to make a mark in the most important election before 2024. Here's why Priyanka Gandhi's hard work failed to rejuvenate Congress.
"Humbly accept the people’s verdict. Best wishes to those who have won the mandate. My gratitude to all Congress workers and volunteers for their hard work and dedication. We will learn from this and keep working for the interests of the people of India."
--- Rahul Gandhi tweets after Congress loses assembly polls in all the 5 states.
AAP has defeated several Punjab heavyweights on its way to victory. Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi has lost from both Chamkaur Sahib and Bhadaur.
State Congress President Navjot Singh too has defeated in Amritsar East.
Former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has lost from Patiala East while Badal family patriarch suffered his first electoral defeat after 11 elections.
While party hopping and leader shopping is part of the game, what does the mutiny of OBC netas mean for Yogi and the BJP? Watch our special story
Our films and TV shows have taken this image of the Baahubali neta and milked it for all it’s worth to light up our silver screens and talk about the ‘bad boy politician’. It can be surely argued that the muse for these characters played a pivotal role in Uttar Pradesh’s rich political history, and perhaps, continue to do so even today.
Watch our special story on criminality in UP politics here.
Three officials were removed from election duty in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday, a day after the Samajwadi Party alleged that electronic voting machines were being shifted in an unauthorised manner.
The officials were replaced on the directions of the Election Commission.
The nodal officer for EVMs in Varanasi, a returning officer (RO) in Sonbhadra district and an additional election officer in Bareilly district have been pulled out from election duties, a day ahead of the counting of votes in UP.
Meanwhile, the BJP petitioned the Election Commission demanding action against Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav for allegedly attempting to spread 'disaffection' and level false charges against the Election Commission and its officials.