New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Ram Mandir just four months ago. The temple construction in Ayodhya was the BJP’s ideological project and certainly the biggest ‘trump card’ in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, and 400 slogans were raised. But Alas! Even single magic figure did not come. Not only that, Faizabad seat gave the biggest surprise. This is where the Ram Mandir of Ayodhya is situated, What is the reason for BJP’s drastic loss?
At Ayodhya, some government college, where was the counting center of Faizabad Lok Sabha constituency. BJP office is about one kilometer away from there. BJP candidate from Faizabad, Lalu Singh, has announced defeated few hours ago. Almost everyone alongwith Party candidate has left the party office except only one bjp’s counting agent who was still sitting in the empty office. His face was full of disappointment and fatigue. After seeing me with his a very close known person, (don’t want to mention his name), he said with watery eyes, “We had to fight a lot to build the Ram Mandir, everyone here had hard work. But despite this, the inauguration of Ram Mandir was not converted into a vote”.
Samajwadi Party’s candidate and nine-time MLA Avdhesh Prasad defeated BJP’s two-time MP Lalu Singh more than 54 thousand votes. We asked him, what is the reason for BJP’s loss ? The party’s counting agent said, “Local issues have gained more importance, poor people, even hindus were angry in many villages of Ayodhya. B’coz, desparately the acquisition of land surrounding the temple and airport and alloted to those rich outsider. The poor villagers lost their home and roti-ruzi”. He further said, “such as, a plot alloted to Foreign Brand KFC who only sells non-veg but what they will sell here in Ayodhya where non-veg is not allowed within 2 kilometers. Moreover, all big business houses from gujrat were alloted the plot for business here but not to locals. They have not paid or well re-settled whose homes were taken over”.
As Avdesh Prasad is a Dalit leader, the votes of BSP also went to the Samajwadi Party. Avdhesh’s initial reaction after the win was, ‘This win is historic. Even though I am a Dalit, our national president Akhilesh Yadav nominated me on an unreserved seat. People have voted for me, forgetting their religion and caste. The local leadership of the BJP also feels that despite the construction of the temple, people’s anger over unemployment, price hike, land acquisition is behind this result in Faizabad and of course the exercise of fear of changing the constitution also. During the campaign, even BJP candidate Lalu Singh stood on the stage and said, ‘We need 400 seats to change the constitution.’
Standing outside the counting center was 27-year-old young boy, his Local house is in Mitrasenpur village. He said, “It was not right for the outgoing MP of BJP to say that about amending the constitution. The candidate of Samajwadi Party (Avdhesh Prasad) spread his comment everywhere. Another factor in BJP’s loss is the question paper leak issue. I myself am it’s victim. Not getting a job, I started agricultural farming with my father”.
Outside the BJP office, a man identified himself as a BJP supporter. His clear words, “people outside Ayodhya may be affected by the promotion of the construction of a huge temple. But the way the local people had to face the trouble, they are angry. In fact, only a handful of Ayodhya residents visit Ram Mandir. Majority of devotees come from outside. Lord Rama is certainly our adoration, GOD. But how can people survive if they lose their homes and jobs”? In this situation, Samajwadi Party’s new MP Avdhesh Prasad says, “The BJP government has uprooted many people while building a road around the temple. I will arrange suitable compensation for them.
