UP Elections 2022: How BJP, SP & other parties performed in their traditional strongholds

In the recently concluded Uttar Pradesh elections, not only did the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerge victorious and returned for a second term, but it also did so by making tremendous gains in constituencies that traditionally did not vote for it. 

Here is a look at how successful the parties in the fray in Uttar Pradesh were in retaining seats that they had won in 2007, 2012 and 2017 and are traditional strongholds: 

BJP - Retained 88% of its strongholds in UP Elections 2022

There are 9 seats viz. Bareilly, Gorakhpur Urban, Khaga, Lucknow East, Meerut Cantt., Pharenda, Shahjahanpur, Varanasi Cantt., Varanasi South where the BJP had won three consecutive terms. In 2022, BJP managed to retain all barring one seat of Pharenda. Interestingly, the Pharendra seat was wrested away by Indian National Congress (INC) candidate Virendra Chaudhary by a minuscule margin of 0.59% while Samajwadi Party (SP) came in a distant third. 

In terms of the margin of votes in these 9 BJP stronghold seats, BJP has managed to increase its margin of victory in four seats of Bareilly, Gorakhpur Urban, Meerut Cantt, and Varanasi Cantt. The party recorded the highest margin of victory, 48.29% in Meerut Cantt where BJP's Amit Agarwal won with a vote share of 66.27%.

Samajwadi Party - Retained 66% of its strongholds

The Samajwadi Party which managed to increase its overall seat-share in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly this time around has, however, had a slip of luck in its stronghold seats. Samajwadi Party had a record of winning in 14 stronghold seats viz. Amroha, Azamgarh, Bhatpar Rani, Hardoi, Isauli, Jaswantnagar, Kannauj, Karhal, Kishani, Mahmoodabad, Moradabad Rural, Rampur, Sambhal, and Shahganj. Out of these 14 seats, SP managed to retain 9 seats and lost 4 to BJP and one to the NISHAD party. 

Of the 9 seats of Amroha, Azamgarh, Isauli, Jaswantnagar, Karhal, Kishani, Moradabad Rural, Rampur, Sambhal, SP won with the largest margin in Amroha (24.29%). When compared to the 2017 margin of victory in these seats, it has increased its margin of victory in Bhatpar Rani, Hardoi, Jaswantnagar, Karhal, Kishani, Mahmoodabad, Moradabad Rural, Rampur, Samhal. Despite losing Kannauj to BJP, SP has managed to increase its margin of victory by 1.24% in this seat. 

SP lost Bhatpar Rani, Hardoi, Kannauj and Mahmoodabad to BJP and lost Shahganj to NISHAD party candidate Ramesh who won by a thin margin of 0.3%. 

BSP - Lost 2 stronghold seats

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) which had three strongholds of Chillupar, Mubarakpur, and Rasara, lost Chillupar to BJP, Mubarakpur to SP, but managed to retain Rasara with a weakened margin of victory. In 2017, BSP had a 17.7% margin in this seat and in 2022, the BSP candidate Umashankar Singh won it by a thin margin of 3.28%. 

Congress - Retained its lone stronghold

The Congress has retained its lone stronghold of Rampur Khas which was won by Aradhana Mishra 'Mona'. This seat more than a Congress stronghold is a family bastion of Aradhana Mishra. Her father, Pramod Kumar had won the seat for all terms between 1977 to 2012 and in 2014, Aradhana Mishra had won the seat after Pramod Kumar was given a Rajya Sabha seat.