E-Paper
Yogi takes stock of poll setback factors in Kanpur division
The BJP, which bagged all the five Lok Sabha seats of Kanpur division in 2019 polls, could win only three.
Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday reviewed the BJP’s performance in the Kanpur division and asked the party leaders about the factors that turned some voters away from it in the 2024 Lok Sabha election.
The Kanpur division comprises Kanpur, Kanpur Dehat, Etawah, Farrukhabad, Kannauj and Auraiya districts. The BJP, which bagged all the five Lok Sabha seats of Kanpur division in 2019 polls, could win only three -- Kanpur, Akbarpur and Farrukhabad – in 2024. The Samajwadi Party on the other hand wrested the Kannauj and Etawah seats. The BJP’s victory margin came down even on the seats that the party won in 2024 polls.
Besides the three MPs Ramesh Awasthi (Kanpur), Devendra Singh Bhole (Akbarpur) and Mukesh Rajput (Farrukhabad), the Kanpur division MLAs, who include four ministers of the state government, were present at the meeting.
“The chief minister categorically asked us why the BJP could not counter the Opposition’s propaganda. They (opposition) lied and succeeded. The BJP MLAs in their assembly constituencies failed to counter them,” an MLA present at the meeting said, quoting the chief minister.
Adityanath reviewed the 2024 Lok Sabha poll results assembly constituency-wise and compared the BJP’s performance there in 2022 UP assembly and 2019 and 2022 Lok Sabha elections.
Those aware of the development said the BJP government’s measures for Dalits like “Panchteerth” were discussed at the meeting. (Panchteerth is a term coined by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for five sites related to the life of BR Ambedkar)
It was pointed out that while the BJP worked for the welfare of Dalits the Samajwadi Party government worked against them.
Moreover, the BSP government also did not use the available law to protect the downtrodden classes, it was said.
It was also felt that BJP leaders failed to work on the voters list and the party’s voters could not be brought to the polling booths.
Though many MLAs remained tightlipped about the deliberations at the Saturday’s meeting, another legislator said the chief minister asked the MLAs to work on the booth-wise details to ensure that the BJP leaders reach the voters in areas where the party got less votes. The chief minister also asked the party MLAs to work on ensuring that the benefits of government schemes reach the people.
