Overconfidence hurt the Bharatiya Janata Party’s hopes in the recent Lok Sabha election, said Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath on Sunday, PTI reported.

The chief minister, during a BJP state working committee meeting, said that “Opposition parties and foreigners successfully used social media to conspire against” his party, according to The Hindu.

“The BJP workers must monitor social media, counter rumours immediately, and highlight the party’s respect for scheduled caste leaders,” he said.

According to Adityanath, the BJP had maintained “constant pressure” on the Opposition under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said this helped the party achieve success in the state during the general and Assembly elections since 2014.

“The BJP managed to secure a similar percentage of votes in 2024 as in previous elections,” he said, The Hindu reported. “However, the shifting of votes and overconfidence hurt our expectations. As a result, the Opposition, which was decimated in the previous elections, is able to do chest-thumping today.”

Adityanath also said that the BJP did not have to “go on the backfoot” as it had done good work, PTI reported. He also criticised the Opposition for dividing society along caste lines ahead of the general elections.

His remarks came a day after the Congress won four out of 13 Assembly seats in seven states where bye-elections were held. The BJP, on the other hand, won two seats. The Election Commission is yet to set a date for the Assembly by-elections in Uttar Pradesh.

These were the first polls to be held after the 2024 Lok Sabha election where the BJP won 240 seats, a significant dip from its tally of 303 seats in 2019. As it fell short of the majority mark of 272 seats, it had to depend on its coalition partners in the National Democratic Alliance – primarily the Telugu Desam Party and the Janata Dal (United) – to form the government.

In Sunday’s meeting, state BJP chief Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary expressed confidence that the party would win all 10 seats in the bye-polls in Uttar Pradesh, reported The Indian Express.

Bye-elections will be held at nine Assembly seats as the MLAs representing them were elected to the Lok Sabha. In the Sisamau constituency in the Kanpur Urban district, bye-polls will be held as the sitting MLA Irfan Solanki was disqualified after being convicted in an arson case.

The BJP on Sunday also passed a resolution seeking an apology from Congress MP and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi for some of his remarks in Parliament.

On July 1, Gandhi alleged that BJP leaders claim to be Hindus, but only talk of violence and hatred. BJP leaders, however, claimed that the Congress leader had described the entire Hindu community as violent.

Gandhi’s remarks have been expunged from Parliament records.