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SP increases voter base in UP, but loses in vote %age

Figures may reveal as much as they may conceal, as is evident from the results of the Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh. Some parties might have increased their vote percentage but not the seats. On the other hand, the increase in number of seats may not correspond to the increase in vote percentage and the decrease in vote percentage might not correspond to the number of votes polled.

The Samajwadi Party, which has increased its number of seats from 20 in 1998 to 26 in 1999, has in reality registered a decrease in its vote percentage of about four per cent compared to that in the last elections. However, the party has increased its voter base from 1,30,78,688 in 1998 to 1,60,20,745 in 1999, a considerable increase of about 40 lakh.

Similarly, the Bahujan Samaj Party, the biggest gainer in Lok Sabha election 1999, has increased its seat tally from 4 in 1998 to 14 in 1999 but its vote percentage increase was a mere 1.17 per cent. If the election results are analysed, the BSP is found to have increased its voter base from 1,16,70,682 in 1998 to 1,20,01,855 in 1999, an increase of more than 13 lakh.

The Congress party, which started from a scratch as it had drawn a blank in 1998 elections, is at par with the BSP in terms of seats it got in 1999. The Congress has graduated from nil in 1998 to ten seats in 1999. But it is hard to believe that the Congress has increased its vote percentage from a low of six per cent to as high as 14.72 per cent, but could not translate this increase in its base to more seats, the feat the BSP has achieved this time.

Belying all the visible facts contained in the figures released by the election directorate, the Congress has in fact been the biggest gainer in this election. The party has polled 80,01,649 votes, showing an increase of more than 46 lakh over the previous elections, a commendable job considering the party was nowhere in the run last time.

The Bharatiya Janata Party, which has faced one of the worst drubbings in recent times, has lost its vote percentage by about 9 pc, from 36.49 in 1998 to 27.64 in 1999. It had got 2,03,69,594 votes in 1998 while it slid to 1,50,19,970 votes in 1999 , a decrease of 53.49 lakh. While the decrease of BJP votes in 1999 was very near to the increase of Congress votes this time, the BJP's seat loss does not correspond to seat gain (10) of the Congress. The BJP has lost 28 seats.

The number of votes of independents has also registered an increase of about four lakh over the last election but not the number of seats. Only one independent candidate had won the last time, and this time also the figure, and also the candidate (Maneka Gandhi), is the same.

Following is the number of seats won, votes polled and vote percentage of political parties in the 1999 Lok Sabha elections in UP:

Party	Candidates	Elected	Votes polled	Percentage
BJP	77	29	1,50,19,970	27.64
SP	84	26	1,30,78,688	24.06
BSP	85	14	1,20,09,855	22.08
Congress	76	10	80,09,649	14.72
RLD	7	2	13,52,694	2.49
LCP	4	2	8,18,713	1.51
SJP	2	1	2,49,621	0.48
CPI	11	0	1,50,518	0.18
CPI-ML	2	0	13,884	0.03
JD-U	2	0	3,21294	0.59
JD-S	18	0	46,943	0.09
Apna Dal	45	0	8,41,429	1.55
Ind	610	1	19,65727	3.62

Other political parties polled much below one per cent votes.

UNI

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