The poor showing of the BJP in the by-elections will have implications for the party’s seat-sharing talks with its Maharashtra ally, Shiv Sena. “With this kind of a result, how can the BJP demand half the seats [in Maharashtra],” a Shiv Sena leader told The Hindu .
Jostling within the BJP for control of the Uttar Pradesh unit will intensify in the coming months as its national president Amit Shah’s dominance over the State affairs is likely to be challenged. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh may vie for a bigger say in State politics in the aftermath of the by-poll outcome.
The results have given the Samajwadi Party a fresh lease of life and impetus to prepare for the bigger battle — the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections in 2017. The Bahujan Samaj Party had not contested the by-elections, after it scored nil in the Lok Sabha, keeping the State an open game in the coming months.
