BJP+ retains UP: 273 seats (52 down from 2017), new record for Yogi- 10 points

"2022 has decided 2024" - Prime Minister Narendra Modi summed up the BJP's election win on Thursday as the party retained Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Manipur with a clear majority.  While the BJP registered a voteshare of 41 per cent in UP, Yogi Adityanath has a new record on his name - the 49-year-old is the first chief minister in the state to return for a second straight term in 37 years. In 1985, Narayan Dutt Tiwari had secured two terms in the state. The ruling party has secured 255 seats on its own while its allies got 18 - ADAL (12) and NINSHAD (6).

Here are ten points on the UP election results 2022:

1. In his own constituency, Gorakhpur (Urban), Yogi Adityanath won with a massive margin of 1 lakh votes. The BJP's return to power has been defined by the prime minister as an approval of "pro-poor and proactive governance" and a "vote for political stability".

2. A major upset for the party, however, has been deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya's loss in his constituency - Sirathu - to Apna Dal (Kameravadi) leader Pallavi Patel by over 7,000 votes. Hours after his son complained to the poll officials amid counting of votes, Maurya on Thursday night tweeted that he "humbly accepts" his defeat.

3) Akhilesh Yadav's Samajwadi Party, the BJP's key challenger, in this election saw a rise in seat-share in assembly - from 47 seats in 2017 (its lowest tally) to 111 seats this time. However, despite efforts, the former chief minister could not return to power. 

4) In a shock loss, Mayawati's BSP got just one seat. This election season, the former chief minister had been largely absent from the poll campaign scene. More often than once, however, she expressed confidence about her party's performance in the state polls.

5) The Congress is yet to break its spell of poll debacles and Uttar Pradesh was no different. Despite a massive election campaign, sharp attacks on the ruling BJP, and pro-active response to local issues, the party managed to win just two seats.

6) Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Congress's UP-incharge, said that "hardwork" on ground failed to translate into votes.

7) Meaanwhile, in their speeches, PM Modi and Yogi Adityanath slammed the rivals for their criticism of the party, especially in the months before the polls.

8) UP has proven, the prime minister said, that "caste factor" is not the most important that affects voting in the state and "people have voted for development" this time.

9) Yogi Adityanath, who was under attack last year over the handling of the pandemic, women's safety among other issues, said the poll results have proven the rivals wrong.

10) Ahead of counting, Akhilesh Yadav had alleged manipulation of counting of votes - a claim that the BJP had dismissed. Some poll officials were removed hours before the counting day.