Lucknow: BJP, which had coined the slogan 'Jo Ram ko Laye Hain, Hum Unko Layenge'' (we will bring back to power those who have brought Lord Rama home) in the Lok Sabha polls, suffered its biggest humiliation in Uttar Pradesh when it lost the Ayodhya Lok Sabha seat to arch rival Samajwadi Party (SP) by over 48 thousand votes.
SP candidate Awadhesh Prasad, who was an MLA from Milkipur assembly seat under the Ayodhya Lok Sabha constituency, defeated BJP nominee Lallu Singh by 48104 votes, according to the official sources.
Losing the Ayodhya seat was being perceived as a huge setback for the saffron party, especially as all its big leaders, including prime minister Narendra Modi and UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath, not only took the credit for the Ram Temple construction but also sought to convey a message that the Ram Temple would be demolished if the I.N.D.I.A alliance came to power.
The BJP leaders were of the opinion that the Ram Temple consecration ceremony on January 22 this year in which Modi consecrated Ram Lala, had turned the public opinion in its favour. The saffron party leaders also touted the development of the temple town during its regime.
The BJP, according to the state party leaders, failed to gauge the ‘anger’ among the electorate in the constituency against Lallu Singh, who, many said, never bothered to keep in touch with the people hoping that he would be able to win the poll in the name of Modi.
DH had earlier reported from Ayodhya that the caste factor would play a crucial role in deciding the outcome of the poll in Ayodhya and that the Ram Temple consecration ceremony fervor had ebbed considerably.
In fact, Modi had held a road show in Ayodhya on May five in an apparent bid to revive the tempo generated by the consecration ceremony.
The SP, apparently keeping an eye on the caste equations in Ayodhya, had fielded Awadhesh Prasad , who hailed from the ‘Pasi’(dalit) community, which had a sizable presence in the constituency. Besides, Prasad, a sitting MLA from Milkipur assembly seat, had a clean image and was considered to be a mass leader.
‘’The defeat in Ayodhya is really painful....we never expected it,’’ remarked a state BJP leader here.
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