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| Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly election, 2012 | |
|---|---|
| Election name | Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly election, 2012 |
| Country | India |
| Type | legislative |
| Previous election | Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly election, 2007 |
| Previous year | 2007 |
| Next election | Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly election, 2017 |
| Next year | 2017 |
| Seats for election | 403 seats in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly |
| Election date | 8 February–3 March 2012 |
| Turnout | 59.40% |
Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly election, 2012 was held in India's Uttar Pradesh between 8 February and 3 March 2012 to elect 403 members of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly. The election resulted in a victory for the Samajwadi Party led by Mulayam Singh Yadav who became the Chief Minister, defeating the incumbent Bahujan Samaj Party government of Mayawati and reducing the Indian National Congress to a minor role.
The 2012 poll followed the tenure of the Bahujan Samaj Party government under Mayawati elected in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly election, 2007, amidst controversies over the Ambedkar memorial and allegations involving the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Income Tax Department. Prior elections such as the 1993 Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly election and the 2002 Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly election set precedents for coalition politics involving the Samajwadi Party, Bharatiya Janata Party, and Indian National Congress. Regional dynamics involving leaders like Akhilesh Yadav, Ram Vilas Paswan, and social groups including the Dalits, Other Backward Classes and Muslim community shaped the political landscape. National events such as the 2011 Indian anti-corruption movement and policies of the United Progressive Alliance influenced campaigning and voter sentiment.
Elections used the first-past-the-post voting system under the supervision of the Election Commission of India for 403 single-member constituencies delineated by the Delimitation Commission of India. Voters registered under the Representation of the People Act, 1950 and the Representation of the People Act, 1951 cast ballots at polling stations administered by the Chief Electoral Officer, Uttar Pradesh. The poll schedule announced by the Election Commission of India split voting across seven phases from 8 February to 3 March 2012, with counting conducted on 6 March 2012 in the presence of observers from the Supreme Court of India and representatives from international bodies such as the Commonwealth Observer Group.
Major contestants included the Samajwadi Party, the incumbent Bahujan Samaj Party, the Bharatiya Janata Party, and the Indian National Congress, along with regional formations like the Peace Party of India and the Rashtriya Lok Dal. Alliances and seat-sharing talks featured actors such as Mayawati's BSP strategists, Mulayam Singh Yadav's SP leadership, and national leadership from Sonia Gandhi, L. K. Advani, and Amit Shah. Smaller parties and independent figures, including Dhananjay Singh and Ajit Singh, contested influence in constituencies across Lucknow district, Kanpur, Varanasi, and Agra district.
Campaign themes involved law and order debates referencing incidents in Muzaffarnagar and Gorakhpur, development promises tied to projects in Noida and Greater Noida, and social justice narratives invoking leaders like B. R. Ambedkar and Ram Manohar Lohia. The Samajwadi Party emphasized youth and infrastructure with leaders Akhilesh Yadav and Mulayam Singh Yadav touring constituencies, while the Bahujan Samaj Party under Mayawati mobilized Dalit support using iconography tied to Ambedkar and urban projects in Lucknow. The Bharatiya Janata Party campaigned on Hindutva and economic governance referencing figures such as Narendra Modi and L. K. Advani, and the Indian National Congress focused on incumbent national policies of the United Progressive Alliance and leaders Manmohan Singh and Pranab Mukherjee. Media coverage involved outlets like The Hindu, Times of India, Hindustan Times, and broadcast channels such as NDTV and Aaj Tak.
Pre-election surveys by pollsters including CSDS and agencies cited by The Hindu and Times of India projected a close three-way contest among the Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, and Bharatiya Janata Party, with the Indian National Congress trailing. Exit polls reported by agencies such as CVoter and India Today varied, some predicting a SP plurality while others indicated a hung assembly scenario akin to outcomes in the 2004 Indian general election and the 2007 Uttar Pradesh election. Analysts drawing on data from the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer, Uttar Pradesh and demographic patterns in constituencies such as Allahabad (Prayagraj) and Varanasi debated swing factors involving OBC consolidation and minority turnout.
Counting on 6 March 2012 delivered a landslide for the Samajwadi Party which won 224 seats, allowing it a majority in the 403-member assembly; the Bahujan Samaj Party fell to 80 seats, the Bharatiya Janata Party obtained 47 seats, and the Indian National Congress captured 28 seats. The SP's victory reversed Mayawati's incumbency and elevated Mulayam Singh Yadav to Chief Minister, with Akhilesh Yadav securing a key role. Voter turnout stood at approximately 59.4% as recorded by the Election Commission of India. Constituency-level results highlighted gains in districts like Azamgarh, Kannauj district, and Mainpuri district for the Samajwadi Party, while the Bahujan Samaj Party retained pockets in Sitapur district and Moradabad district.
Following the results, Mulayam Singh Yadav was sworn in as Chief Minister at a ceremony involving dignitaries from the President of India's office and political leaders including Akhilesh Yadav and former ministers. The new SP government appointed a cabinet drawing from constituencies across Western Uttar Pradesh, Gangetic plain, and the Bundelkhand region, and faced immediate challenges related to law and order, infrastructure, and rural distress highlighted in reports by the Reserve Bank of India and advocacy groups. Opposition leaders such as Mayawati and L. K. Advani criticized policy directions, and the assembly period set the stage for subsequent national debates culminating in the 2014 Indian general election.
Category:State Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh Category:2012 elections in India