UP civic polls: Ayodhya's gift to Adityanath, BJP wins newly created mayoral seat

AYODHYA: Soon after assuming office in March this year after his landslide victory, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had constituted two municipal corporations of Ayodhya and Vrindavan-Mathura. On Friday, as the votes were being counted for the civic polls, the newly created mayoral seat in Ayodhya did not disappoint the CM.

BJP's Rishikesh Upadhyaya won the post by nearly 4,600 votes. The importance that Ayodhya holds for the BJP can be understood by the fact that Adityanath began his unprecedented campaign for the civic polls from the temple city.

Aware that the BJP's performance in the polls is under a close scanner and will be considered as the report card for the ruling government, the CM had campaigned aggressively for the polls, travelling across the state. 

While the BJP left no stone unturned to campaign for the polls, opposition Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Congress maintained a low profile.

Neither SP supremo Akhilesh Yadav nor BSP chief Mayawati campaigned for their candidates. 

The elections have been a huge jolt for the Congress as well who has not managed to win even one mayoral seat in the state. In fact, the party even faced defeat in the Nagar Panchayat election in Gandhi bastion Amethi.