​​​​​Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati’s bitterness about election outcome in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand is somewhat misplaced, polling data suggests.

Despite the overwhelming performance of the Bharatiya Janata Party in the two states, BSP has not done too badly compared to 2012 Assembly elections. Her voter base is mostly intact, particularly in Uttar Pradesh.

Voting patterns emerging from Uttar Pradesh show that BSP has polled nearly as many votes as the Samajwadi Party in 2017 Assembly elections – that is about 22 per cent.

Counting of votes in 330 of the 403 seats is not yet complete. However, for BSP, its vote share has not translated into many seats. It has won four seats and is leading in another 15. In comparison, the SP has won 20 seats and is leading in 29 seats.

Mayawati’s party had won 80 seats in the 2012 Assembly elections with about 26 per cent share of votes. The Samajwadi Party had won 224 seats with a little more than 29 per cent of the votes.

BJP’s performance in the 2017 Assembly elections is both historic and jaw-dropping. It has managed to secure nearly 40 per cent of the votes polled and counted so far. The party has already won 91 seats and is leading in another 219 seats where counting is in progress. This is a big jump from the 15 per cent votes it secured in 2012 Assembly elections and 47 seats.

In Uttarakhand, BSP has secured seven per cent of the votes counted. The party is unlikely to win any seat, while BJP looks set to sweep the polls with a brute majority. Of the 70 seats in the Assembly, BJP has won 18 and is leading in 38.

In 2012, BSP had won three seats and secured 12 per cent of the votes polled. In comparison, BJP had won 31 seats and secured 33 per cent of the votes.

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