The magnificent Ram Mandir was one of the major poll planks of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Lok Sabha polls. However, the results announced on Tuesday, five months after the opulent consecration ceremony at the temple, indicated a different outcome. Here’s what went wrong for the BJP in Ayodhya:
Lallu Singh’s Constitution Comment
One of the most costly errors by BJP candidate Lallu Singh during the recent election was his remark about “making a new Constitution.” In a widely circulated video on social media, Singh is purportedly heard stating that even a government with a 272-seat majority “cannot amend the Constitution.” He added, “For that, or even if a new Constitution is to be made, there is a need for over two-thirds majority.”
The statement provided fresh ammunition to the opposition INDIA bloc. Congress leader Pawan Khera highlighted the controversy, pointing out that Singh’s remark came just days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured the nation that the Constitution could not be changed “even if BR Ambedkar himself tried to do it.”
Forceful Land Acquisition
The BJP’s popularity began to decline when they started acquiring land for the temple premises. According to senior journalist and political observer Ram Naresh Tiwari, “Be it the widening of roads leading to the Ram Temple or the construction of related projects, scores of people whose families have been residing here for more than 100 years were forced to hand over their properties (shops, homes) to the district administration under the land acquisition drive. This was an issue the BJP failed to recognize, but the opposition addressed.”
Ignorance of Local Issues
Amidst the hustle and bustle surrounding the construction of the temple, local issues on the ground were neglected. The BJP machinery focused only on the areas in and around the temple complex, while other areas lacked even basic amenities.
“Potholed roads, poor electric supply, improper sanitation, frequent traffic jams… the issues are endless. Despite being a two-time MP, Lallu Singh virtually did nothing when it came to local development. Both times, in 2014 and 2019, he fought elections in the name of PM Modi,” Tiwari said.
Samajwadi Party’s Dalit Candidate
In a strategic move, the Samajwadi Party (SP) fielded Awadesh Prasad, a Dalit leader who has been a nine-time MLA from Milkipur and Sohawal seats. This helped the party gain crucial Dalit support. Notably, Dalits are the single largest bloc of voters in Faizabad. The Bahujan Samaj Party’s (BSP) decision to field a Brahmin candidate, Sachidanand Pandey, also worked against the BJP, as Pandey ate into the saffron party’s vote share and polled more than 46,000 votes.
Caste Equations
In the 2014 elections, Lallu Singh defeated SP’s Mitrasen Yadav by 2.82 lakh votes in the Narendra Modi wave. In 2019, the SP and BSP tied up, considerably reducing the BJP’s margin. This time, Dalit, OBC, and Muslim votes went to the SP. The Muslim votes consolidated behind INDIA, and the bloc also capitalized on the resentment among OBCs, Brahmins, and Thakurs towards the BJP.
