Poll results: UP leaves BJP bitter

The BJP headquarters resounded with crackers and sound bytes, but there was a gloomy hush in the party office in Lucknow. Once the celebrations over Goa and Punjab come to an end, the party will reflect on its losses in Uttar Pradesh where its numbers fell not just much below its expectations but also short of its 2007 tally of 51.

Though the Congress had edged ahead with a wafer thin margin of one seat, the BJP was still hopeful of retaining power in the state. The day began on a happy note for BJP, which appeared to be emerging number two party in Uttar Pradesh in early trends.

Party leaders had just started rejoicing when the picture changed, leaving it speculating on what had gone wrong in the state. Party president Nitin Gadkari expressed satisfaction over his party's overall performance in the assembly elections but candidly admitted that the UP results had fallen far below expectations.

"As far as BJP is concerned, we are satisfied with the results. We have won in Goa and our alliance has come back in Punjab. I am hopeful we will form government in Uttarakhand..... Polarisation between BSP and SP can be a reason for our poor showing in UP. People voted for the party which could oust the Mayawati regime," he told a news conference where party workers reveling over BJP's victories barged in carrying banners.

As expected, one of the first questions posed to Gadkari, who had taken the gamble of bringing Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi's foe Sanjay Joshi, was whether Modi's absence from UP had hurt the party's prospects. Gadkari, however, disagreed, sticking to the 'polarisation' theory and maintaining that all party leaders, including Joshi and Uma Bharati, had worked hard.

"BJP has eight chief ministers. Modi was busy with sadbhavna etc. All workers and leaders worked hard. I do not feel the way you do," he said. It was Gadkari who had lined out the party's strategy in UP. He brought back Lodh leader Uma Bharati despite some resistance from Rajnath Singh. Joshi's presence had kept Modi away.