‘Paper leaks’ to ‘hasty’ ticket distribution: 10 key reasons listed by BJP for its Lok Sabha poll debacle in UP

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has identified reasons for its below-par performance in Uttar Pradesh in the Lok Sabha Elections 2024. In the 15-page internal report, the saffron party has listed comments by party leaders on constitutional amendments and the issue of leaked papers in competitive exams as key reasons for its defeat in Uttar Pradesh.

Of the 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh, the BJP could win just 33, down from 62, which it won in 2019. The vote share of the party came down from 49.98 percent in 2019 to 41.37 percent in 2024.

The party reviewed seats across Uttar Pradesh, except Varanasi and Lucknow, where it won but with reduced margins compared to the 2019 general elections.

While Prime Minister Narendra Modi retained Varanasi for the third term, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh won Lucknow again. However, both seats saw narrower victory margins than in 2019.

The BJP won 240 seats across the country in the Lok Sabha Elections 2024, the results of which were declared on June 4. Since the number was 32 short of the 272-seat majority mark in the Lok Sabha, the BJP had to rely on its allies in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to form its government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a third term.

The party assigned senior leaders in Uttar Pradesh with the review process. These leaders were asked to visit each Assembly segment of the Lok Sabha seat assigned to them. These leaders submitted their reports to the UP leadership by June 25.

News18 quoted a party functionary in the know of the findings as saying that the ‘BJP’s downfall was less destined and more scripted.’ The report’s findings will be presented at a meeting of the BJP’s national office bearers, according to a report in Money Control, which listed 12 reasons for the BJP’s poor performance in UP.

Top 10 reasons listed in the report

1- Opposition’s narrative that reservations would be removed and comments by BJP leaders on constitutional amendments.

2- Paper leaks in competitive exams.

3- The issue around the recruitment of contract workers.

4- Large-scale dissatisfaction among BJP workers over the conduct of government officials.

5- Hasty ticket distribution affected the morale of BJP workers.

6- Discontent among party workers towards the BJP government in the state regarding police stations and tehsil offices.

7- Voters in the Thakur community distancing from the party.

8- No support from backward communities such as Kurmis and Kushwahas.

9- Pasis and Valmikis, among SC votes, shifted their support to the Samajwadi Party and the Congress.

10- BSP candidates in Lok Sabha polls did not split the Muslim votes. Instead, they had an impact on seats where BJP had strong candidate support.