Mulayam Singh Yadav's grand-daughter applies 'tilak' to Yogi Adityanath on re-election

As Yogi Adityanath storms to an unprecedented 2nd term in Uttar Pradesh, he was greeted by Mulayam Singh Yadav's granddaughter and SP-turned-BJP leader Aparna Yadav's daughter on Thursday. Yadav shared a 7-second video of her daughter and herself applying 'Tilak' on Adityanath's forehead, as a sign of his victory.  BJP swept the 5 state polls winning UP, Uttarakhand, Manipur and Goa, while AAP trounced Congress in Punjab.

Aparna Yadav & daughter apply tilak on Yogi Adityanath's forehead

On Thursday, Yadav also claimed that "Hindu-Muslim-Sikh-Isai Sabke Sab Hein Bhaajpayee," as she wished the incumbent CM on his poll victory. Addressing the media outside the CM's residence in Lucknow, Yadav said that EVMs cannot be blamed for 'poor performance' and that she will seek blessings from Mulayam Singh Yadav on BJP's victory. Yadav had ditched her brother-in-law Akhilesh Yadav's party a few days ahead of the polls after she was denied the Lucknow Cantt. ticket.

BJP sweeps UP

On Thursday, UP citizens awarded Yogi Adityanath an unprecedented 2nd term as Uttar Pradesh CM,  breaking a 35-year jinx. BJP - with a 41.9% vote share - has bettered it by 2% since its 2017 polls. BJP retained its majority (albeit reduced) with 273 seats, while SP won 123 seats and the Congress was reduced to 2 seats. BSP on the other hand was reduced to a single seat. AIMIM failed to open its tally.

Moreover, Adityanath is the first sitting BJP CM to win from Gorakhpur - his hometurf after he trounced SP's Subhawati Shukla by a margin of 1 lakh votes. BJP has also increased its voteshare by 2% since 2017 inspite of Western UP disgruntlement, farmers' protest, stray cattle menace, COVID mishandling and anti-incumbency working against it. Its poll pitch of improved law & order, effective migrant handling, free ration distribution and implementation of Centre's schemes have powered it to a win.

Inspite of disgruntlement among Jat farmers in Western UP over 3 farm laws, sugarcane procurement dues, BJP has swept the region winning - Meerut, Bulandshahr, Noida, Jewar, Dadri, Ghaziabad, Hapur, Baghpat,  Muzaffarnagar, Shamli, Bijnor, Bareilly, Badaun, Pilibhit, Agra, Firozabad, Mainpuri, Mathura, Aligarh, Etah, Hathras, Kasganj, Etawah, Auraiya and Farrukhabad. Moreover, BJP has also won Lakhimpur - which witnessed the mowing down of 4 farmers by Union MoS Ajay Mishra's son - Ashish Mishra. In most of these seats, BJP has won in a sweeping majority - wresting away SP strongholds like Etawah, Mainpuri, Aligarh with slim margins. BJP has also won Hathras which witnessed the brutal gangrape.