BJP chief JP Nadda with CM Yogi Adityanath in Lucknow (PTI)
New Delhi: Uttar Pradesh’s BJP Chief Bhupendra Chaudhary has outlined several critical factors contributing to the party’s underperformance in the state’s recent Lok Sabha elections. The comprehensive 15-page report, compiled from feedback received from 40,000 BJP workers across constituencies, was discussed extensively by the BJP leadership in Delhi.
The report attributes the BJP’s reduced electoral success, securing only 33 out of 80 seats, to a range of issues. Key concerns highlighted include dissatisfaction among party workers towards the government, resentment towards the Agnipath scheme, and displeasure among the Rajput community.
A significant decline in the BJP’s vote share across all six regions of Uttar Pradesh—Western UP, Braj, Kanpur-Bundelkhand, Awadh, Gorakhpur, and Kashi—is also noted. Particularly, the party struggled in the West and Kashi regions, securing only eight seats out of 28, and in Braj, where it won eight out of 13 seats. In Gorakhpur and Awadh, the BJP secured six out of 13 and seven out of 16 seats respectively. In Kanpur-Bundelkhand, the party failed to regain its previous seats, managing only four out of 10.
The report identifies the following factors contributing to the BJP’s electoral setback:
1. Arbitrary conduct of officials and administration within the state.
2. Worker dissatisfaction with the state government’s performance.
3. Persistent issues of paper leaks in government job exams over the past six years.
4. Opposition criticism over the government’s preference for general category candidates in contract job recruitments.
5. Discontent among the Rajput community.
6. Controversial statements made by party leaders regarding constitutional amendments.
7. Early distribution of election tickets leading to decreased worker enthusiasm in the later voting phases.
8. Lingering concerns among government employees regarding the old pension scheme.
9. Controversies surrounding the Agnipath recruitment scheme for military personnel.
10. Allegations of voter list manipulation resulting in the removal of BJP’s core voter names.
The internal review also highlights a decrease in BJP’s support from non-Yadav OBCs (Kurmi, Kori, Maurya, Shakya, and Lodh castes), alongside a noted decline in Dalit vote share for Mayawati’s BSP, which benefited the Congress Party.
The findings of this report were discussed in detail with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and BJP National President JP Nadda.
