UP election results: Big shock for Yogi Adityanath, SP consolidates leads in Gorakhpur, Phulpur Lok Sabha seats

UP election results: Samajwadi Party candidates consolidated their leads over nearest BJP rivals in Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh, according to the latest trends. The Samajwadi Party had an electoral understanding with Mayawati's BSP and tied up with local satraps. Its candidate Pravin Nishad was leading over Upendra Dutt Shukla of BJP by 26,510 votes in Gorakhpur at the end of 17th round of counting, while in Phulpur, SP candidate Nagendra Pratap Singh Patel was leading by 29,474 votes after 20th round of counting.

With some more rounds of counting still being left, the overall picture appeared that the electorate did not back the saffron party ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha election.

The SP candidate was leading over BJP candidate Kaushalendra Patel, while independent Atiq Ahmed was at the third spot. The trends had an echo in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly, when the Leader of the Opposition Ram Gobind Chaudhary pointed out to the Chair that mediapersons were being barred from entering the counting centre in Gorakhpur, and described it as "murder of democracy".

Amid uproarious scenes created by a jubilant SP members, Speaker Hriday Narayan Dixit adjourned the House briefly. Gorakhpur DM Rautela, however, said that there was no such bar on the entry of media at the counting centre. Ten nominees are in the fray from Gorakhpur, while 22 candidates contested from Phulpur.

The bypolls were necessitated after Adityanath and his Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya vacated the Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha seats respectively, following their election to the state legislative council.

Gorakhpur is significant for the BJP with Adityanath representing the seat in the Lok Sabha five times. Before him, his mentor Yogi Avaidyanath was MP from the seat. Phulpur, once represented by the country's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, witnessed a saffron surge in the 2014 Lok Sabha election when Maurya won the seat. 

Massive irregularities in vote-counting in Gorakhpur: SP to EC

The Uttar Pradesh unit chief of the Samajwadi Party (SP), Naresh Uttam, has written to the Election Commission (EC), alleging large-scale irregularities in the ongoing counting of votes for the Gorakhpur Lok Sabha seat. In a letter to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Uttar Pradesh, a copy of which was also sent to the Chief Election Commissioner of India, the SP leader alleged massive irregularities in the counting of votes and urged the EC to take immediate steps in this regard.

The district administration, under pressure from the chief minister, was out to somehow ensure the victory of the BJP candidate...If the BJP managed to win from Gorakhpur, the people would lose faith in the EC, Uttam said.

He further alleged that as soon as the counting began, the police lathicharged the people and chased them away to ensure that there was no one outside the counting centre and the district magistrate, who is also the district election officer, removed the SP agents from the counting centre.

According to an official, at the end of the 14th round of counting, Praveen Nishad of the SP was leading by 19,201 votes in Gorakhpur over his nearest BJP rival.

Gorakhpur is a stronghold of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who has represented the seat in the Lok Sabha for five terms. The bypoll in Gorakhpur was necessitated after Adityanath vacated the seat to enter the state Legislative Council.