UP Election 2022: Kushinagar to Kashi - Why is BJP looking East ahead of polls?

In the run-up to the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi literally has one foot in Purvanchal, inaugurating mega projects and schemes.

from Kashi Vishwanath Corridor to AIIMS in Gorakhpur, Pruvanchal Expressway, International Airport at Kushinagar to nine medical colleges from Siddharthnagar to mega national health plan from Varanasi...

BJP is firmly focussed on Purvanchal. Before we look at why, here's a look at the region.

15 districts of Eastern UP make up Purvanchal. These are:
Azamgarh, Ballia, Basti, Chandauli, Deoria, Ghazipur, Gorakhpur, Jaunpur, Kushinagar, Maharajganj, Mau, Mirzapur, Sant Kabir Nagar, Sant Ravidas Nagar-Bhadohi, Siddharth Nagar, Sonbhadra and Varanasi

So why is BJP focusing on Purvanchal in the run-up to the polls...

First reason is the farmer anger in Western UP. The protests against farm laws which went on a year have made BJP jittery about its prospects in the Western region, which the party had swept in 2017 Assembly and 2019 Lok Sabha polls on the back of polarisation after the 2013 riots...

Lakhimpur killings and administrative response have further enraged the farmers and BJP may see that impacting its poll prospects further in Western UP and Terai region...

The BJP wants to offset likely losses in the West by retaining its stronghold in the East... So focus Purvanchal

PM's Lok Sabha seat Varanasi also falls in the Purvanchal, so a renewed vigour in the BJP to capitalise on PM's popularity in the region.

BJP's popularity in Purvanchal can be gauged by the fact that in last elections, the party had swept the region.

Of the 164 seats in the region, BJP won 115 seats.

SP got 17, BSP 14 and Congress just 2. 16 went to other smaller groups.

But what may add to the BJP's worries this time is that over the last 3 decades, Purvanchal voters have not stuck with any party for two elections.

The BJP aims to reverse the trend by projecting "The Purvanchal Vikas Model" of Expressways, Airports and Medical colleges.

The BJP has also kept its alliances with parties like Apna Dal and Nishad Party to keep its base intact in Purvanchal...

Apna Dal, which is a part of the NDA, had won 9 seats in the 2017 election. The Anupria Patel-led party has its base in the Kurmis, an OBC community, and has pockets of influence in eastern UP.

The Nishad party, led by Sanjay Nishad, commands loyalty of riverine community of boatmen and fishermen and has influence in a few east UP regions. The party had won just 1 seat in 2017 polls.