UP Allies Blame Yogi Government For Lok Sabha Election Defeat

Following the BJP and NDA's losses in the Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh, its allies in the state ally parties and leaders are attributing the defeat to the Yogi government's performance. As CM Yogi Adityanath leads the government, he is under scrutiny. The list of discontented leaders is growing, with repercussions felt from Lucknow to Delhi.

Sanjay Nishad, a minister in Yogi Adityanath's government and chief of the Nishad Party, has voiced his frustration over his son's electoral defeat by criticising the misuse of bulldozers. He blames the state's bureaucracy, similar to Union Minister Anupriya Patel, another BJP ally.

Nishad expressed his concerns about officials exacerbating an already tense atmosphere. He reacted to the demolition of an elderly woman's house in Jaunpur district, claiming that officials misusing bulldozers are aligned with the Samajwadi Party and BSP. "The atmosphere is already bad. Officials are worsening it further," he said.

He further stated, "Using bulldozers on the poor is detrimental. They should be used on the mafia." Nishad emphasised that while demolition work is necessary for development, the poor should be rehabilitated first, which is not happening.

Within hours, CM Yogi Adityanath posted on X, warning 'guilty officials' to correct their actions. This warning was related to the Kukrail River Rejuvenation Project in Lucknow, which has faced protests. The CM assured citizens that private houses on private land would not be demolished for the project and that 'guilty officials' would be held accountable. He also urged officials to work confidently with the people.

Nishad's comments come at a time when BJP's MPs from UP have decreased from 62 to 33 out of 80 Lok Sabha seats. Allies Apna Dal (Sonelal) and Nishad Party have also faced losses. Sanjay Nishad's son, Praveen Nishad, lost his seat in Sant Kabir Nagar.

Support for Maurya's Statement

Nishad met Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya in Bareilly and supported his statement that the organisation is bigger than the government. Nishad said, "Any government is based on the ideology of the party. It is the workers who work hard. The party worker is bigger than the political strength of any government and the people's strength and mandate come with it."

BJP MLC Devendra Pratap Singh stirred controversy by writing a letter to CM Yogi Adityanath. He questioned what caused public anger towards the government and attributed unexpected election results to multiple reasons, including an anti-teacher-employee image.

Corruption Allegations

A video of Badalpur MLA Ramesh Mishra went viral where he urged central leadership to make significant decisions but later retracted his statements. Senior BJP leader Rajendra Singh alias Moti Singh recently alleged that common people are being exploited and corruption has spread at tehsil and police station levels.

Earlier, Union Minister Anupriya Patel complained about government jobs reserved for OBCs and SCs being given to general category candidates in UP. She also raised issues about neglecting workers and leaders by officials.

No Differences Between Government and Organisation

Despite these issues, UP BJP president Bhupendra Chaudhary claimed there are no differences between the state government and the organisation. He told TOI, "It is a matter of pride for us that the government is advancing the agenda of the organisation....We will fight and win the next election together with full force."