Akhilesh Yadav says will continue 'decreasing' BJP's seats after SP's performance in UP elections

Lucknow | Jagran Politics Desk: Following the "unexpected" results in Uttar Pradesh assembly elections 2022, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Friday thanked voters for supporting him and said he will continue "decreasing" the Bharatiya Janata Party's seats, signalling towards more fierce competition in the future.

"Hearty thanks to the people of UP for increasing our seats by two and a half times and vote percentage by one and a half times," he tweeted. "We have shown that BJP seats can be reduced. This reduction of BJP will continue unabated. More than half the confusion and delusion have been cleared, the rest will happen in a few days. The struggle for public interest will win!"

The SP, which contested Uttar Pradesh elections along with Jayant Chaudhary-led Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), finished second. The SP bagged 111 seats, improving its 2017 tally, while the RLD got eight seats, according to the final results declared by the Election Commission of India (ECI).

Akhilesh, however, won from his Karhal assembly seat in the Azamgarh district with a margin of 67,504 votes. The EC said Akhilesh got 1,48,196 votes with 60.12 per cent vote share. BJP's SP Singh Baghel came second to the seat with 80,692. Further, BSP candidate Kuladip Narayan got 15,701 votes.

Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath won 255 out of 403 constituencies, securing a 41.29 per cent vote share. It's Apna Dal (Soneylal) also bagged 12 seats. The results fall in line with the exit poll projections which had predicted that the saffron party will retain the power in Uttar Pradesh, which send 80 MPs to the Lok Sabha.

Party leaders have credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Adityanath and BJP's policies for its success in Uttar Pradesh. "Today's historic victory is an outcome of work and thoughts of an honest government of PM Modi like politics of development, care of all without discrimination, COVID management, efficacy at international forums and faith of people in double engine government," said Union Minister and BJP leader Piyush Goyal on Thursday.