The results of the panchayat elections have come as a big jolt to the ruling BJP in Uttar Pradesh, especially with the assembly election barely a year away. This was the first time that political parties had fielded candidates in the panchayat elections. All the political parties vied hard to win as many of the 3,051 zila panchayat member posts as possible. The zila panchayat members elect the district panchayat president of their respective district (there are 75 districts in all in the state). The counting of ballots for the three-tier panchayat elections started on May 2. When the final figures came out, it became clear that the BJP had suffered major losses, winning just 543 seats to the SP's more than 699 seats. The panchayat election is seen as a semi-final before the assembly elections of 2022.
