BJP embarks on extensive review after UP setback, senior leaders to submit final reports before June 20

New Delhi: Following a significant setback in the recent general elections in Uttar Pradesh, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has initiated a ‘comprehensive review process’.

The party has dispatched senior leaders to each of the 74 Lok Sabha constituencies where the BJP fielded candidates, intending to conduct detailed surveys.

A senior BJP leader from Uttar Pradesh confirmed to the Millennium Post that the findings from these surveys will be compiled into a final report, which is expected to be presented to the BJP leadership by June 20.

The BJP’s performance in the recent Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh was notably disappointing, with the party experiencing a substantial number of defeats among its incumbent MPs.

Over half of the sitting MPs, who contested the elections were unable to retain their seats, highlighting a strong anti-incumbency sentiment that caught the party off guard. Post-election primary analysis shows that 27 of the 49 sitting MPs were replaced, while several newcomers who had joined the BJP before the elections also faced defeat. Interestingly, 10 of the 21 new candidates, including first-time nominees, emerged victorious, suggesting they may have had a better connection with the electorate than many of their more experienced counterparts. Some candidates were criticized for appearing aloof and inaccessible to the public.

Among the high-profile losses were Union Ministers and long-serving MPs such as Smriti Irani, Ajay Mishra Teni, and Mahendra Nath Pandey. Maneka Gandhi, an eight-term MP, and Rajveer Singh, the son of former Chief Minister Kalyan Singh, also failed to secure their seats.

Despite these losses, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Varanasi and Rajnath Singh in Lucknow were among the 14 MPs contesting for the third or more time who managed to win, along with seven MPs contesting for the second time, such as Ravi Kishan in Gorakhpur.

The BJP’s vote share in Uttar Pradesh decreased considerably, from 49.6 per cent in 2019 to 41.4 per cent in the recent elections.

In 72 of the 74 constituencies where the BJP contested in both polls, there was a reduction in the number of votes received, ranging from a few thousand to over 2 lakh. Notably, this decline included key constituencies such as Varanasi, Gorakhpur, and Lucknow. The exceptions were Gautam Buddha Nagar (Noida), Bareilly, and Kaushambi, where the BJP’s vote count increased.