BJP vote share increases, but loses security deposit

VIJAYAWADA: The BJP-Jana Sena alliance had to forfeit its security deposit as it was restricted to just about 57,000 votes, much less than the minimum of 1/6th of the valid votes. The only silver lining is that it managed to marginally improve its vote share.While the BJP, backed by Jana Sena, tried to leave no stone unturned and kept alleging that Hindu temples and Hindutva were under threat in the state, besides making corruption charges against both the YSRC and the TDP, its candidate K Ratna Prabha earned a paltry 5.17 per cent of votes. 

For the record, the state saffron party unit boasts of having over 30 lakh membership, which translates to an average of over 1.2 lakh members per each parliament segment, but could get only about 57,080 votes. However, the positive aspect is that the vote share improved marginally by 3.95 per cent compared to the 2019 general elections from 1.22 per cent to 5.17 per cent. But then again, it indicates the combined votes earned by both BJP and Jana Sena. Although Jana Sena did not contest in the 2019 parliamentary election, its alliance partner BSP, with support from left parties, contested and got 20,971 votes (or 1.6 per cent). So effectively, the BJP-Jana Sena managed to improve its vote share by a mere two per cent.

The BJP went all guns blazing at the YSRC before the elections and, in fact, has been working to build its cadre for at least six-seven months. To consolidate ‘Hindu votes’ both the parties also raised several issues pertaining to Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams.They have also targeted Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy alleging that his party was encouraging religious conversions. 

When contacted, a senior leader alleged that the results don’t indicate the true picture. “There were several irregularities and the ruling party used all forces, including state official machinery, to work for its benefit. We proved that on the polling day itself. The YSRC may have won the election, but it lost morally and ethically,” the leader claimed.

Another leader assessed that the sentiment of Special Category Status (SCS), promised by Narendra Modi in 2014 in Tirupati, Visakhapatnam Steel Plant privatisation issue, absence of strong cadre and leadership, and poor coordination with the Jana Sena, as some of the possible reasons. Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan, before the election, had stated that some of his party cadre were not happy with the way state BJP was functioning.