Yogi Adityanath says overconfidence has hurt BJP’s hopes in the 2024 elections at a key party meeting

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday said overconfidence had prevented the BJP from achieving the desired success in Uttar Pradesh in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, but he was confident of the ruling party’s victory in the 2027 state assembly elections.

“Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi J “Under our leadership, we kept constant pressure on the Opposition and achieved the desired success in Uttar Pradesh in the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections and the 2017 and 2022 state assembly elections. The BJP could have secured a similar vote share in the 2024 elections as it had in the last elections. However, vote shifting and overconfidence have derailed our expectations. As a result, the Opposition, which was devastated in the last elections, can today claim with pride,” Adityanath said at the BJP state committee meeting held at the Bhimrao Ambedkar Auditorium at Ram Manohar Lohia National Law University in Lucknow.

Accusing the opposition of polarising society along caste lines ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, the Prime Minister asked his party leaders and workers to remain vigilant against such polarization and stressed the need to use social media platforms effectively.

“Opposition parties and foreigners have made good use of social media to hatch conspiracies against us. BJP activists must monitor social media, refute rumours promptly and emphasise that the party respects Scheduled Caste (SC) leaders. In 2019, we defeated the largest coalition in Uttar Pradesh,” Adityanath said and urged all activists – from MPs to Councillors – to immediately start preparations for the Vidhan Sabha by-elections to 10 Assembly segments and the general elections in 2027.

The Working Committee, which met for the first time following the results of the Assembly elections, was attended by BJP national president JP Nadda, several Union and state ministers, MPs, state legislators, Lok Sabha candidates and block-level leaders.

The BJP’s performance in Uttar Pradesh in the Indian Lok Sabha elections was a major blow to the party, which had hoped that the politically most important state would give it a majority (272) in the parliament. The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) managed to win just 36 seats, while the BJP won 33, the RLD two and the Apna Dal (Soneral) one. The party was 29 seats short of the 62 it won from the state in 2019 and 38 seats short of the 71 it won in 2014.

Nadda took aim at the Bharatiya Janata Party in his speech, pointing out that the grand old party could not surpass the number of seats won by the Bharatiya Janata Party in all three elections combined. “The Bharatiya Janata Party could not win a single seat in 13 states. In states like Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh, where the Bharatiya Janata Party faced off against them in 64 seats, the Bharatiya Janata Party managed to win just two seats while the Bharatiya Janata Party secured 62,” he said.

He also said that the saffron party’sSabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas” He said, adding that the BJP’s strength lies in grooming dedicated workers as leaders.

Nadda accused the Indian National Congress of undermining the Constitution and democratic values. “The Indian National Congress has spoken loudly about the Constitution during the polls. We need to remind everyone who has really undermined the Constitution. The Indian National Congress has toppled elected governments 90 times. The Indian National Congress talks about Ram temples but for the Bharatiya Janata Party, it is not just an electoral issue, it is a matter of faith,” he added.

State BJP leader Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary, Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak also addressed the rally.