In a significant upset, BJP candidate Lallu Singh lost the Lok Sabha elections to Samajwadi Party’s Awadhesh Prasad in the Faizabad constituency, home to the historic Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. Despite the BJP’s hopes to leverage the inauguration of the Ram Mandir earlier in the year for electoral gains, Prasad secured victory by a substantial margin of 5,54,289 votes, according to Election Commission data.
It’s noteworthy that Faizabad district was officially renamed Ayodhya in 2018, reflecting the city’s cultural and religious significance. However, the Lok Sabha seat retains the name Faizabad.
The BJP had anticipated leveraging the momentum from the grand inauguration of the Ram Mandir, a long-standing promise in their manifesto, to bolster their campaign for the 2024 elections. However, Prasad’s victory underscores a shift in electoral dynamics.
Meanwhile, trends indicate significant gains for the INDIA bloc in Uttar Pradesh. The bloc, comprising the Samajwadi Party and Congress, was leading in 42 Lok Sabha seats, with the BJP trailing behind on 34 seats, a notable decline from their 2019 tally of 62 seats.
The unexpected defeat in Faizabad signals a broader challenge for the BJP in Uttar Pradesh and underscores the evolving political landscape in the state.
