NEW DELHI, March 28: An over three per cent swing helped the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to consolidate itself in Uttar Pradesh despite a near eight per cent increase in the Samajwadi Party's (SP) vote share.BJP polled a total of 36.49 per cent votes as against 33.4 per cent in 1996. SP recorded cent per cent success winning both the seats it contested. It emerged as the second-largest party in the state.
The Congress rout in the state was complete,with its vote share dropping by 2.08 per cent as the party drew a blank. It contested 76 seats out of 85 and lost them all. Despite the drama that UP witnessed during the height of the election campaign when the Kalyan Singh government was toppled by the Jagadambika Pal-led Lok Tantrik Congress only to bounce back into power in an unprecedented floor test, voters preferred BJP and gave the party 57 seats, by far its best showing.
Though BJP recorded a 69.51 per cent success ratio with 57 wins in 85 seats, it suffered losses in 12 constituencies, losing 10seats to SP and two to Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) but gained 17 to end up with a net gain of five.
Samajwadi Party contested 81 seats and won 20 with success ratio of 24.69 per cent. BSP contested all 85 seats but won just four, two seats less than the 11th Lok Sabha tally.
Of the 18 Lok Sabha seats reserved for Scheduled Caste, SP, self-styled torchbearer of the community, won five seats of the 18 it contested. BJP's success in the SC pockets was emphatic as it won from 11 constituencies with 61.11 per cent success ratio.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
