The BJP – en route to a dominant win in the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly election – has swept all eight seats in Lakhimpur Kheri, which was the centre of fury and outrage in October after four famers were run over by a car allegedly driven by union minister Ajay Mishra Teni’s son, Ashish Mishra. The horrific incident, in which three BJP workers and journalist also died, triggered furious criticism of the Yogi Adityanath government and allegations the ruling BJP was going soft on a murder accused because of his father’s position.
The eight seats in Lakhimpur Kheri are Palia, Nighasan, Gola Gokarnath, Sri Nagar, Dhaurahra, Lakhimpur, Kasta, and Mohammadi.The clean sweep of these seats has raised eyebrows, given the strength of anti-BJP emotions in the aftermath of the farmers being mowed down.
The farmers were part of a larger group protesting the central government’s controversial farm laws (which have since been scrapped) when they were hit from behind by a car allegedly driven by Ashish Mishra.The farmers were part of a larger group protesting the central government’s controversial farm laws (which have since been scrapped) when they were hit from behind by a car allegedly driven by Ashish Mishra.The incident was flagged by opposition parties to underline their criticism of the BJP as ‘anti-poor’ and ‘anti-farmer’, but it appears the critiques did not stick.
