Sir — This refers to the editorial, “Web of alliances” (March 16). Results to the Gorakhpur and Phulpur lok Sabha by-election are a setback for the BJP. But Phulpur had never been the BJP’s constituency. It was a stronghold of the Samajwadi Party and it was only due to Modi-wave that Keshav Prashad Maurya won from there.
Personally, the loss of Gorakhpur seat is a huge embarrassment for Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who is five-time MP from Gorakhpur. These results are indicative of the people’s dissatisfaction with the BJP.
The results have given a new steam to the Opposition’s efforts for an anti-BJP front but its materialisation doesn’t seem easy, inspite of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi’s dinner politics. With hardly one year left for the 2019 lok Sabha election, it is not the right time for either the BJP or the Opposition to be complacent and take things for granted. Alarm bells are certainly ringing for the BJP.