The Uttar Pradesh BJP unit has sent a comprehensive report outlining the reasons behind its disastrous Lok Sabha election to the party’s top command, amidst claims of internal strife among leaders.
The study raises worries about paper leaks, the hiring of contractors for government jobs, and the state administration’s alleged high-handedness, all of which have reportedly produced dissatisfaction and unrest among party workers.
Following the electoral success of the Samajwadi Party-Congress coalition, which won 43 of the state’s 80 Lok Sabha seats to the NDA’s 36 (down from 64 in 2019), the state BJP has filed a comprehensive 15-page review of campaign shortcomings.
According to sources, approximately 40,000 people provided input on the party’s performance, with a focus on critical constituencies such as Ayodhya and Amethi.
The analysis highlights an 8% fall in the BJP’s vote share across all regions of Uttar Pradesh. It urges the central leadership to take immediate action to keep future elections from becoming a struggle between advantaged and disadvantaged communities.
UP BJP President Bhupendra Chaudhary and Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya have met with senior party leaders to discuss the party’s electoral setbacks in Uttar Pradesh.
The state unit’s report identifies six primary reasons for the BJP’s subdued performance, including perceived administrative high-handedness, discontent among party workers, frequent paper leaks, and the employment of contractual workers in government positions. These issues have reinforced opposition narratives about the party’s stance on reservations.
The report also notes shifts in electoral support, citing diminished backing from the Kurmi and Maurya communities and a reduction in Dalit votes. It acknowledges the decreased vote share of Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Congress’s improved performance in certain regions as additional factors. The state unit has been highlighted to the BJP’s central leadership that the state unit must resolve its differences promptly and start commence grassroots work to prevent the sentiment from evolving into an “agada versus pichada” (upper caste versus backward castes) conflict.
The UP BJP’s campaign peaked early due to the rapid distribution of tickets, and by the sixth and seventh phases, fatigue had set in among workers. Statements by party leaders against reservation policies further exacerbated the party’s diminishing support. The state unit pointed out that the opposition effectively raised issues that resonated with the people and called for party workers to be treated with respect.
In the Lok Sabha election, the Samajwadi Party secured 37 of the 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh, up from five in 2019. The BJP was reduced to 33 seats, down from 62, resulting in an overall decline in the party’s national tally. The UP outcome has stunned the leadership that had anticipated significant gains from a state where the Ram temple’s grand consecration ceremony was held earlier this year.
According to the party’s own data, its weakest performances were in the west and Kashi (Varanasi) regions, where it won just eight of the 28 seats. In Braj (western UP), the party won eight out of 13 seats. In Gorakhpur, the stronghold of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the BJP managed only six of 13 seats. In Awadh (region that includes Lucknow, Ayodhya, Faizabad), it won just seven of 16. In Kanpur-Bundelkhand, the BJP failed to reclaim its previous seats, securing only four out of 10.
Yogi Adityanath attributed the poor results to overconfidence, while his deputy Keshav Maurya emphasized the importance of strengthening the party organization. However, the central leadership has instructed state leaders to resolve their differences and concentrate on the upcoming by-elections for 10 assembly seats vacated due to various reasons, including MLAs elected to the Lok Sabha.
Recently, Union Minister Anupriya Patel, a BJP ally, wrote to the Chief Minister flagging the delay in filling quotas for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in state government jobs. Ms Patel’s Apna Dal has influence specifically among Kurmis.
Supporters of Yogi Adityanath contend that the chief minister’s command over the state’s administration, coupled with his focus on stringent law and order and discipline, helped the BJP maintain its grip on the state. “The main issue was the repetition of unpopular candidates, which should have been avoided. Baba (Yogi Adityanath) had no role in ticket allocation. As a Chief Minister who has demonstrated his popularity by returning to power, his integrity and commitment are beyond doubt. The central leadership recognises this,” one MLA close to Mr Adityanath affirmed.
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Source: NDTV
