The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) suffered a significant setback in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh, failing to secure a majority despite the heightened religious fervor following the consecration of the Ram Temple in January 2024.
The electoral contest was primarily between the incumbent NDA and the challenging INDIA bloc
BJP leads 33, Samajbadi party, SP was leading in 37 seats, Congress 6 and others 4.
The party’s loss can be attributed to several factors:
Caste Dynamics: The 2024 elections underscored the enduring importance of caste dynamics over religious sentiment in electoral politics. Voters prioritized local issues and caste affiliations over broader religious narratives, which worked against the BJP’s favor.
Local Issues: The BJP’s ambitious slogan, “Ab ki baar 400 paar,” fueled concerns about potential constitutional changes under a robust BJP victory, which the Congress capitalized on, leading to a significant surge in their support.
Fear of Constitutional Changes: The Opposition kept stressing that if the NDA is given a mandate with over 400 seats, they could amend the Constitution and remove reservation. This fear likely played against the BJP’s prospects in the state.
Economic Issues: Despite the Indian economy emerging as among the top performers globally in terms of growth rate, rising prices of necessities like gas cylinders and fuel likely played spoilsport for the party’s prospects in the state.
Lack of Jobs: The Opposition’s promise of 30 lakh jobs was probably successful in gaining the confidence of voters, who were dissatisfied with the Modi government’s job creation record.
Congress’ Promises: The Congress’ promise of giving Rs 8,500 per month and Rs 1 lakh every year to poor women, repeated by Rahul Gandhi in almost all of his speeches, struck a chord with the voters.
