Uttar Pradesh is India’s most populous state, sending 80 Members of Parliament to the Lok Sabha. The state is also known for being home to the largest number of Indian prime ministers. Leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Indira Gandhi, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Charan Singh, and Narendra Modi have all won general elections from this state, shaping the course of Indian politics on both national and international fronts.
The state came into existence in 1950 after the United Provinces were renamed Uttar Pradesh. In the year 2000, another state, Uttarakhand, was carved out of UP to give representation to the Himalayan regions in the state. Lucknow is the capital of Uttar Pradesh, and the Allahabad High Court is the highest judicial body in the state.
Yogiji’s name will be on the ballot as well. Appointing him was a huge gamble. If he had risen to the challenge and the opportunity, with 325 seats in a house of 403, he could have immediately improved law and order, brought a development orientation to the administration. This election comes almost halfway through his term. So this is also very much a referendum on him.
Anything from forty to fifty seats.