Uttar Pradesh is emerging as the biggest challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Lok Sabha elections, with several surveys predicting that his National Democratic Alliance could lose anything ranging from 25 to 50 seats in the state compared to its 2014 tally of 73.
But the NDA’s losses aren’t just because Akhilesh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party, Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party and Ajit Singh’s Rashtriya Lok Dal have come together to from a formidable Mahagathbandhan in the state.
There is one surprising factor that is weighing down the BJP in Uttar Pradesh: public discontent against Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and his government. As many as three surveys have captured the sentiment against the Adityanath government in the state.
The latest survey has been conducted by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR). The survey asked people to rate the Uttar Pradesh government on several counts. On all the top issues for the public, the Yogi government got an overall rating of below average.