Kushinagar: Is BJP Banking on PM Modi’s Developmental Projects to Retain The Prestigious Seat?
Kushinagar Elections 2022: Of the 102 seats in Purvanchal, Kushinagar is said to be the hotbed of power and politics. Constituency No. 333 of Uttar Pradesh legislative assembly comes under the Kushinagar Lok Sabha constituency which came into existence following Delimitation in 2008. It is an open constituency.
New Delhi: Ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly Election 2022, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) left no stone unturned to woo voters in the vital Purvanchal (Eastern) region of the state. Purvanchal, where 102 seats are up for grabs is considered the most backward region of the state. However, the “double-engine sarkar” of PM Modi and CM Yogi has given the region a big infra push. From the airport to the expressway to medical varsities, the BJP government has given a gift of more than Rs 2,000 to Purvanchal to boost the development of the eastern parts of the state never before. Of the 102 seats in Purvanchal, Kushinagar is said to be the hotbed of power and politics. Constituency No. 333 of Uttar Pradesh legislative assembly comes under the Kushinagar Lok Sabha constituency which came into existence following delimitation in 2008. It is an open constituency.
Kushinagar- A Battle Ground For BJP Until 2017
Until 2017, the Vidhan Sabha seat of Kushinagar had been a tough battleground for the ruling saffron party as in 2012 it had failed to win a single seat in the district. However, in the last Assembly polls, the BJP had registered victory on 4 seats—Khadda (Jata Shankar Tripathi), Padrauna (Swami Prasad Maurya), Kushinagar (Rajnikant Tripathi), and Hata (Pawan Kumar) of the total 5. Ramkola seat was won by the party’s former ally and SBSP candidate Ramanand Buddha.
Will Developmental Projects Prove to be a Game Changer For BJP?
To repeat its last year’s performance, the party had launched a slew of developmental projects. In October 2021, PM Modi had inaugurated a new international airport at Kushinagar and said his government has taken a number of steps to instill new energy in the aviation sector and the region. For the unversed, Kushinagar is the final resting place of Gautama Buddha where he attained Mahaparinirvana after his death and is among the most important pilgrim spots for Buddhists.
Built at an estimated cost of Rs 260 crore, the airport is part of the government’s endeavor to connect Buddhist pilgrimage sites around the world. PM Modi had said the government’s special attention to the development of places associated with Lord Buddha and developing Kushinagar are among the top priority areas for the UP and central governments.
Kushinagar Vidhan Sabha Seat at Glance
In 2017, Rajnikant Mani Tripathi of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won the seat by defeating Rajesh Pratap Rav Alias Banti Bhaiya from Bahujan Samaj Party with a margin of 48103 votes.
Votes of top 5 candidates in election Assembly 2017
| Position | Candidate Name | Party | Total Votes | Percentage Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rajnikant Mani Tripathi | BJP | 97132 | 47.72% |
| 2 | Rajesh Pratap Rav Alias Banti Bhaiya | BSP | 49029 | 24.09% |
| 3 | Brahmashankar Tripathi | SP | 46369 | 22.78% |
| 4 | None Of The Above | NOTA | 2208 | 1.08% |
| 5 | Zakir Ali | NCP | 1764 | 0.87% |
In the 2012 Assembly elections, the Samajwadi Party won this constituency by 23,688 votes. Bramhashankar Tripathi, the winning Samajwadi Party candidate, got 66,489 votes. The nearest contender was Jawed Iqbal of BSP who got 42,801 votes. The voter turnout was 55.43 %.
As per the data of the Election Commission of India, Kushinagar has 3,24,165 registered voters. It comprises 1,79,372 male and 1,44,779 female registered voters.
Key Candidates This Year
- BJP-PN Pathak
- Congress- Yet to be announced
- Samajwadi Party- Yet to be announced
- BSP- Yet to be announced
Zee Opinion Poll
As per Zee News DesignBoxed Opinion Poll, incumbent CM Yogi Adityanath emerged as the favorite candidate for the chief minister’s post with a whopping 48% votes, followed by Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav with 35%. BSP chief Mayawati was at a distant third with 9% support. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has the support of only 4% of participants.
Besides, the BJP is predicted to get 53-59 seats while Samajwadi Party is likely to bag 39-45 seats of the total 102 in Purvanchal. The BSP and Congress will win 02-05 and 01-02 seats respectively.
Kushinagar Polling And Result Date
Kushinagar will vote in the sixth phase of the elections along with other constituencies—Katehari, Tanda, Alapur (SC), Jalalpur, Akbarpur, Tulsipur, Gainsari, Utraula, Balrampur (SC), Shohratgarh, Kapilvastu (SC), Bansi, Itwa, Domariyaganj, Harraiya, Kaptanganj, Rudhauli, Basti Sadar, Mahadewa (SC), Menhdawal, Khalilabad, Dhanghata (SC), Pharenda, Nautanwa, Siswa, Maharajganj (SC), Paniyra, Caimpiyarganj, Pipraich, Gorakhpur Urban, Gorakhpur Rural, Sahajanwa, Khajani (SC), Chauri-Chaura, Bansgaon (SC), Chillupar, Khadda, Padrauna, Tamkuhi Raj, Fazilnagar, Hata, Ramkola (SC), Rudrapur, Deoria, Pathardeva, Rampur Karkhana, Bhatpar Rani, Salempur (SC), Barhaj, Belthara Road (SC), Rasara, Sikanderpur, Phephana, Ballia Nagar, Bansdih and Bairia. Counting of votes will be held on March 10 and the result will be declared on the same day.
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