Until this summer, Uttar Pradesh was the jewel in the Bharatiya Janata Party’s crown – the state that ensured the party had an overwhelming majority in Parliament. But the 2024 Lok Sabha election has upended this.
The BJP’s tally from Uttar Pradesh has nearly been halved, from 62 in 2019 to 33 this time. This appears to have set off a conflict between Chief Minister Adityanath and his deputy, Keshav Maurya. Many believe this is actually a proxy war between Adityanath and Amit Shah, two leaders seen as potential successors to Narendra Modi.
Political intrigue aside, on the ground in Uttar Pradesh, how do ordinary BJP karyakartas view the turbulence in the party? Is it just a battle of personalities or a deeper, more existential crisis of a party losing its social base? Who do workers blame for the Lok Sabha debacle? How are BJP’s rivals and allies capitalising on its weakness? Can the BJP put its house in order and fight back in the upcoming bye-elections?
Help Scroll’s Ayush Tiwari seek answers to these questions – and more. Support his travel through India’s most politically influential state, which has gone from being BJP’s crown jewel to its prime headache.
