Following BJP’s defeat in the five states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram – there’s been a new dialogue brewing within the right-wing Hindu groups – that maybe UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, is the actual brand ambassador of ‘Hindutva’ and BJP’s star campaigner, not Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The reason, according to Yogi’s supporters, is the fact that the Chief Minister had reportedly managed greater wins in the five states – irrespective of the final results, than Modi.
The supporters have also claimed that Yogi’s ‘strike rate’ in the Hindi heartland of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, is greater than 50 percent. As per records, Yogi fared even better than Modi during campaigning, as he reportedly won most of the seats he had campaigned for.
Despite the fact that Yogi made an erroneous statement in a rally in Rajasthan’s Alwar, a seat which the BJP lost, calling Hanuman a ‘Dalit’, he still managed to strengthen his image as the brand ambassador of Hindutva.
According to party sources, BJP was believed to have had the greatest stronghold in Madhya Pradesh, before the results tilted it in favour of the Congress on 11 December. Yogi had reportedly campaigned for 17 seats across the state, out of which he won 11 and lost 6.
Seats Won by Yogi in MP
- Ratlam (City)
- Khurai
- Sagar
- Khandwa
- Mahu
- Ujjain (South)
- Narsinhagar
- Shamsadabad
- Aashta
- Hoshangabad
- Dr Ambedkar Nagar
Seats Yogi Lost in MP
- Indore 1
- Rau
- Bhopal
- Vidisha
- Alot
- Badanavar
Why Are The MP Results Important?
It was assumed by the party that they would not manage to gain a stronghold in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. People were fed up with Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje in the Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh was too small a state for the party to have a real impact.
On account of this, the BJP really had their hopes pinned on Madhya Pradesh, as the new Chief Minister of the state would have a significant role to play in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
In a comparison to Yogi, Modi had campaigned for 10 seats in Madhya Pradesh, out of which he won 6 and lost 4.
Seats Won by Modi in MP
- Mandsaur
- Indore 2 (which the BJP has won for the past six years)
- Jhabua
- Shahdol
- Jabalpur (which the BJP has won for the past six years)
- Reeva
Seats Lost by PM Modi in MP
- Gwalior (East)
- Chhindwara
- Chhatarpur
- Vidisha
Based on this report card, it is seen that Yogi fared better than the Prime Minister in most of the seats he had contested for in the state. On the basis of this, right-wing workers started projecting him as the brand ambassador of Hindutva.
In fact, in Lucknow, members of the Nav Nirman Sena also put up pro-Yogi and anti-Modi banners, for which three members of the party were even arrested later.
Yogi’s reputation as the brand ambassador of Hindutva has indeed increased, considering his campaigns from Gujarat, Telangana to even the North-East. However, calling him a greater star campaigner than PM Modi, on the basis of his consolidated rule in one state, is incorrect. However, the Yogi vs Modi dialogue is something that will possibly carry on till next year’s general elections.
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