LUCKNOW: The defeat in three states of Hindi heartland has sent the alarm bells ringing for the ruling BJP especially in Uttar Pradesh where it is faced with daunting task of repeating its 2014 performance
for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. BJP is now faced with resurgent Congress on one hand and challenges of SP-BSP truck on the other.
Now post- latest drubbing, while the BJP is gathering itself, it is also feeling a palpable pressure from both allies and right-wing outfits in the state. While the allies find a better scope of having a say, ideological friends like VHP and RSS are set to push the ruling party further over temple issue.
In UP, BJP had secured 42 per cent vote share winning 73 of 80 Lok Sabha seats along with allies in 2014. UP had emerged as the biggest stronghold for the saffron party. Its victory of 2014 was
consolidated in 2017 when BJP stormed to power in the state with a mammoth mandate. However, four back-to-back bypoll defeats in Gorakhpur, Phulpur, Kairana and Nurpur not only retarded the movement of saffron juggernaut but also dampened the morale of the party workers.
Even the right-wing organisations like VHP attribute BJP’s defeat in three states to disillusioned Ram bakhts.
“MP, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh have predominantly Hindus with minorities present in small numbers. Uncertainty over temple issue might have played a major role in the disenchantment of majority community which rejected BJP in three states,” said a senior VHP leader.
However, many party insiders view it as the fallout of party-led government’s stance on SC/ST Act which ultimately pushed the upper castes away from it. Similarly, the allies like Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP) of OP Rajbhar feels that this defeat may be replicated in 2019 if the MBCs are not given their due
by carving a quota for them within OBC quota. On the other, anti-incumbency of a decade and a half in MP and Chhattisgarh played a vital role in BJP’s defeat.
However, the jolt in the hindi heartland has made the BJP think tank to chalk out an elaborate programme for party’s top brass including PM Narendra Modi and national chief Amit Shah while firming up its
strategy to keep its vote bank intact in 2019.
Consequently, a series of public rallies to be addressed by the PM are lined up starting with Rae Bareli on Sunday. It will be PM Modi’s maiden visit to Congress bastion and parliamentary constituency of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi after becoming the Prime Minister. He had earlier visited the constituency in 1999.
After addressing a rally in Rae Bareli, the PM will proceed to Prayagraj to address another public meeting. It will be followed by his public meeting in Ghazipur to woo the most backwards including the Rajbhars on December 29. While the PM will take the ‘Mission Reconnect’ along by frequenting UP in December
and January, party chief Amit Shah too is expected in state capital Lucknow on December 25 to analyse booth-connect and voter-connect initiatives of the state.
BJP state unit has firmed up the programmes of its different wings focusing on caste arithmetic and issues related to women, minorities, farmers, and youthat the micro level right from the district to grass root level.