Agra: There has been a 37% increase in the number of political parties that contested the UP assembly elections in 2017 as against 2012, according to the latest report of the Association of Democratic Reforms. At the same time, the number of candidates who contested the recent elections has decreased by 23% as compared to the previous election.For the 2017 Uttar Pradesh assembly polls, a total of 302 political parties and independents were in the fray. These included, six national parties, seven state political parties and 289 registered unrecognized parties. In comparison, during the 2012 polls, 221 political parties were in the fray. These included, six national political parties, 13 state political parties and 202 registered unrecognized parties.Of the 403 seats in the state assembly, BJP won 312 seats while Samajwadi Party with 47 seats emerged as the second largest party. It was followed by Bahujan Samaj Party which won 19 seats, Apna Dal (Soneylal) secured nine and Congress seven seats.Among the 289 registered unrecognized political parties, Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party won four seats and Nirbal Indian Shoshit Hamara Aam Dal won one seat each. Just three independent candidates managed to win in the 2017 polls.As far as vote-share of winning candidates is concerned, the ADR report stated that the winners of 2017 won by an average of 43% votes of the total votes polled. In the 2012 elections, winners won by an average of 35% of total votes polled.Of the total winners, were 72 (18%) won with 50% and more of the total votes polled in their respective constituencies. Independent candidate from Kunda, Raghuraj Pratap Singh, who secured 1,36.597 votes out of 2,01.038 votes polled, recorded the highest vote-share margin (68%). As many as 331(82%) winners won with less than 50% of the total votes polled.Among major parties, out of 312 winners of BJP, 250 (80%) secured less than 50% of total votes polled in their constituencies. In SP, 43 (91%) of the 47 winners bagged less than 50% of votes. BSP 19(100%) out of 19 winners from BSP; 6 (86%) of seven winners from INC and one (33%) of the three independent winners won with less than 50% of total votes polled in their constituency, the report added.

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