Uttar Pradesh poll debacle: Why this strategy proved costly for BJP

People recall how Lallu Singh (R), BJP MP from Faizabad, would tell those seeking favors that they should not vote for him if they wished, but he would not help them.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) experienced one of its worst performances in two decades during the recent Uttar Pradesh Lok Sabha elections, with over 55% of its incumbent candidates suffering defeat. This outcome underscores a significant anti-incumbency sentiment that the party leadership seemingly failed to anticipate.

Post-election analysis reveals that 27 out of the 49 sitting MPs fielded by the BJP were voted out. "It clearly shows that people were not happy with their work, yet the BJP leadership showed misplaced faith in them," said Nomita P Kumar of the Giri Institute of Development Studies.

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Additionally, even newly inducted MPs, such as Ritesh Pandey in Ambedkarnagar, who had switched to the BJP before the elections, faced losses. Overall, 31 sitting MPs from the BJP lost their seats. Conversely, of the 21 new candidates, including several first-timers, 10 emerged victorious, indicating a relatively better performance compared to many sitting MPs.

The BJP's first list of 51 candidates included 46 repeated candidates. “There was arrogance in the BJP leadership, believing that the election was being contested on Modi and Yogi’s face, thinking even a 'dog' could win,” commented a senior BJP leader. The leadership overlooked the public's dissatisfaction with some candidates, granting tickets to some for the third time.

Critics within the party noted that some candidates were perceived as arrogant and unapproachable. People recall how Lallu Singh, BJP MP from Faizabad, would tell people seeking favors that they should not vote for him if they wished, but he would not help them. This arrogance stemmed from his belief that people would vote for him because of Ram Mandir and Narendra Modi.

Similarly, in Mohanlal Ganj, MP Kaushal Kishore faced backlash for neglecting party workers.

Out of 54 repeated candidates, 35 were contesting for the third time or more. However, 21 of these, including high-profile figures like Union ministers Smriti Irani (Amethi), Ajay Mishra Teni (Kheri), and Mahendra Nath Pandey (Chandauli), were defeated. Other notable losses included eight-term MP Maneka Gandhi (Sultanpur) and Rajveer Singh (Etah), the son of former Chief Minister Kalyan Singh.

In Moradabad, Sarvesh Singh lost to SP’s Ruchi Veera by over 1.05 lakh votes. Among the 19 candidates contesting their second consecutive Lok Sabha poll, 10—including seven sitting MPs like Pradeep Kumar (Kairana) and Ram Shankar Katheria (Etawah)—faced defeats. In Sambhal, BJP's Parmeshwar Lal Saini lost to SP's Zia-ur-Rehman.

Data indicates that only 14 BJP MPs contesting for the third or more time managed to win. Among the winners were PM Narendra Modi (Varanasi) and Rajnath Singh (Lucknow). Likewise, only seven MPs contesting for the second time, including Ravi Kishan (Gorakhpur), were successful.

Out of 21 new candidates, 10 managed to win, with prominent winners including Jitin Prasada (Pilibhit), Ramesh Awasthi (Kanpur), and Atul Garg (Ghaziabad). However, first-time BJP candidates such as Saket Mishra (Shrawasti), Neeraj Tandon (Allahabad), Neeraj Shekhar (Ballia), and Jaiveer Singh (Mainpuri) were defeated.

Additionally, UP minister Dinesh Pratap Singh lost to Rahul Gandhi in Rae Bareli, and Dinesh Lal Nirahua faced his second defeat in Azamgarh, having previously lost to SP chief Akhilesh Yadav in 2019.