UP Election Results: Brajesh Pathak said he knew the BJP was going to win all along.
Uttar Pradesh Law Minister Brajesh Pathak on Thursday said the Samajwadi Party had gained more votes in these elections because the opposition support base had coalesced in favour of it, however, the party had been decisively rejected.
"I was never nervous. The people have reposed their faith in the pro-people policies of PM Modi. People of Uttar Pradesh and Lucknow felt that the BJP reinstated the rule of law. They have voted beyond their boundaries of caste and religion. It's a huge majority," Mr Pathak a powerful Brahmin face of the BJP, said.
"The Samajwadi Party has been comprehensively rejected because it nominated criminals. The reason why Samajwadi Party's vote share is up 12 per cent is because they scooped up the entire opposition vote. There was no BSP," he added.
Yogi Adityanath is all set to return as Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh with the BJP taking an unassailable lead over rivals in India's politically most vital state, as counting of votes entered its fifth hour on Thursday.
Shortly before 9:30 am, NDTV called the election for the BJP, projecting more than 250 seats for the party out of the state's 403. By 10 am, the BJP, it seemed, could cross 300 - the ambitious target set by the party for itself.
Akhilesh Yadav's Samajwadi Party, trailing with roughly half the seats, gained over the last election but fell far short of the party's expectations.