THE results of the 18th Lok Sabha elections on June 4, 2024 proved that the people voted in favour of saving the constitution and democracy and curbed the dictatorship of the BJP and the Modi government.  BJP, which had set a target of crossing 400, got 240 seats only. BJP lost 63 seats compared to the 2019 elections. It could not reach the majority to form the government on its own. However, NDA secured a majority with 293 seats and the NDA government came to power at the centre for the third time under the leadership of Narendra Modi. INDIA bloc got 234 seats, in which Congress has the highest number of 99 seats. CPI(M) got 4, CPI 2 and CPI(ML) got 2 seats.

UTTAR PRADESH

The people of Uttar Pradesh have played a commendable and big role in defeating the BJP. The number of BJP seats in the state has almost halved. In 2019, the BJP had 62 seats and in 2024 it was reduced to 33. The Samajwadi Party got 37 seats and the Congress got 6 seats. Azad Samaj Party leader Chandrashekhar won one seat. The BSP could not get a single seat.

INDIA bloc appeared before the people as a strong alternative and the discontent against the BJP government helped the India bloc. The people of Uttar Pradesh have given a mandate to protect the constitution and democracy, against inflation, unemployment, to save livelihood and reservations, against Hindutva and hatred, dictatorship, bulldozer rule, against garib ujado abhiyan, exam paper leaks and cruel oppressions against the minority. The 10 kg free foodgrains, Rs 8500 per month to women, loan waiver for farmers, abolition of agniveer yojana,  etc announced by the India bloc also had a positive impact.

A special concern was seen among dalits that if the BJP's Modi government comes back to power, it will change Baba Saheb Bhimrao Ambedkar's Constitution. The statement of BJP leaders about changing the constitution further deepened this concern. A large part of dalits voted for INDIA bloc's SP and Congress to protect the constitution. The people of the state, who are being crushed between the double engine of the BJP, also expressed their dissatisfaction against Yogi's bulldozer rule, repression, and all-round attack on the Muslim community.

BJP was confident that by keeping the Ram temple in Ayodhya at the centre, by uniting the forward castes on the basis of Hindutva and confusing the backward castes, it would win more seats in the state than before. It had claimed to win all 80 seats but it failed. Issues related to the lives of the people like constitution, livelihood, inflation, unemployment outweighed the issues of BJP. The impact of 10 per cent reservation for the weaker sections of forward castes was felt in some areas of the state and BJP benefited from it.

In Ayodhya, where the BJP wanted to win the entire state on the basis of the pran pratishtha of Ram Mandir and its wide publicity in favour of Modi and the slogan of 'Those who have brought Ram, we will bring them', BJP lost the Lok Sabha seat of Faizabad. SP's Avdhesh Prasad won from here. During the preparations for pran pratishtha, thousands of people were deprived of their livelihood and thrown on the road. BJP had to suffer due to this too and people stood against it.

Varanasi  is from where the prime minister was a candidate for the third time. This time there was a new drama – that now Ganga maiyya has adopted him. Now Ganga is his mother. Ministers of the central and state governments and national leaders had gathered in Varanasi. Here election was under special supervision of the home minister, a lot of money was spent but still he was barely able to win by about one and a half lakh votes. The margin of Modi's victory in 2019 was about four lakh eighty thousand votes.

Not only this, out of the 13 seats around Kashi, BJP had won 12 seats in 2019, this time it could win only 4 seats. Out of the 16 seats around Ayodhya (Awadh region), BJP had 13 seats in 2019, in 2024 it could win only 7 seats. In western UP also, BJP could not win its earlier seats. SP has benefited more in UP. Its strength has increased. It has reached 37 seats from 5 seats. Its vote share is 33.59 per cent. Congress has reached 6 from 1. Its vote share was 9.46 per cent. The combined vote percentage of both was 43.05 per cent. BJP alone got 41.37 per cent votes and NDA about 42 per cent. BSP suffered a big loss in this election, it could not win a single seat whereas in 2019 it had 10 seats when SP had an alliance with Congress. BSP got 9.4 per cent votes, 10 per cent less than 2019.

A section of Mayawati's traditional dalit voters left Mayawati and joined the INDIA bloc SP-Congress. Mayawati was considered by the voters as a supporter of the BJP and her secular face was exposed. Mayawati was confident that by giving tickets to Muslim candidates she would be able to divide the Muslim votes but this did not happen. The Muslim community remained united with the India bloc against the BJP.

Angry Mayawati made a statement against the Muslims that now she will not trust them and in future she will give tickets to Muslims only after much consideration. It is worth noting that she did not express anger against the dalits of her community but expressed satisfaction with them.

 In this election, there was a change in the attitude of the dalits towards Mayawati and a significant part of them moved away from her but it would be too early to say that dalits will leave the BSP in future as well. It cannot be guaranteed that they will vote for the SP or the Congress in the assembly elections too. There were weaknesses in organisation and coordination among the constituent parties of the India bloc in Uttar Pradesh, otherwise the seats of the BJP could have been reduced further. Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav limited the India bloc to only SP and Congress. He did not talk to CPI(M) and other Left parties. Many of his small allies contested the elections by separating from him.

CPI(M) independently ran a campaign to defeat the BJP in the state. Pamphlets related to 'Modi ki Jhoot' received from the Party centre were published in the form of booklets in the number of 5000. Pamphlets were printed and distributed separately in the districts and meetings and marches were organised.

CPI contested 6 Lok Sabha seats and supported an independent candidate in an assembly bye election.

The election organisation of SP-Congress was weak. There was a lack of will to win elections in many areas. There was a lack of internal coordination, and despite this their victory was possible because the public was coming forward and fighting elections to defeat the BJP. The role of social media was remarkable. Social media gave a befitting reply to the fierce propaganda of Modi's lapdog media, which had a good impact in every village.

It should be noted that in Uttar Pradesh, a strong centre of communalism, Hindutva and casteist politics, people gave priority to the constitution and basic problems related to life in this election. Hindutva and casteist forces have suffered a setback.

The people of Uttar Pradesh trusted India bloc and stood by the slogans given by it. It is important that efforts should be made to involve people in further agitations on the basic issues raised by India bloc in the elections. This can weaken Hindutva, hatred and caste politics. We should independently go for agitations in the state on the basic issues declared by our Party in the elections.