BJP faces internal strife after Lok Sabha polls setback in Western Uttar Pradesh
Lucknow: Following a significant defeat in the recent Lok Sabha elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is undergoing intense introspection and analysis as the loss has revealed deep-seated factionalism within the party, particularly in western Uttar Pradesh, an issue that has surfaced prominently during district meetings.
This internal discord is being cited as a primary reason for the electoral setback, marking a troubling first for the BJP in this region.
The party’s high command has expressed severe dissatisfaction with the emerging factionalism. In response, a comprehensive review is being conducted across all Lok Sabha constituencies. Party workers at the division level are being individually interviewed to gather feedback about internal conflicts and identify officers with negative attitudes.
This information will be compiled and presented to the high command, which is contemplating significant organisational changes and potential disciplinary actions against officials who have distanced themselves from the public.
Out of the 14 Lok Sabha seats in western Uttar Pradesh, the BJP and its ally, the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), won seven seats. However, the BJP lost two previously held seats, with Pradeep Chaudhary losing in Kairana and former Union Minister Dr. Sanjeev Balyan suffering defeat in Muzaffarnagar.
In Meerut, despite fielding Arun Govil, famous for his portrayal of Lord Ram in the Ramayana TV series, the BJP did not achieve the expected electoral boost, with the victory margin being notably narrow.
The well-known verbal clash between Sanjeev Balyan and former Sardhana MLA Sangeet Som in Muzaffarnagar has been a point of concern among party leaders. During a review meeting in Baghpat on Tuesday, factionalism was evident in the presence of Faridpur MLA Shyam Bihari, Lok Sabha coordinator Jitendra Satwai, and Lok Sabha in charge. Former district president Sudesh Chauhan highlighted the need to understand how the Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate garnered over three lakh votes, alleging internal sabotage by a senior BJP leader. In Meerut, the review was conducted by Gorakhpur’s regional president Sahajanand Rai, and Saharanpur MLA Rajiv Gumbar.
Leaders held separate discussions before the president, vice president, and general secretary of all 16 divisions, expressing grievances about being sidelined during the elections.
Complaints were made about calls being ignored and senior officials’ neglect. Subsequent discussions with public representatives revealed that a lack of mutual harmony contributed to the narrow victory margins.
Public representatives voiced concerns about several officials’ poor attitudes, arguing that such behavior alienates the public. Former president of Gorakhpur region MLC Dharmendra Singh conducted a review meeting in Muzaffarnagar, further exposing BJP’s factionalism, with many officials failing to attend.
