The political landscape of Uttar Pradesh has  undergone a dramatic transformation as recent  election results reveal a significant setback for  the Bharatiya Janata Party and revival of  Congress.  Despite the heightened religious fervour  following the consecration of the Ram temple in  Ayodhya in January 2024, the BJP failed to  secure a victory, reminiscent of its loss in the  1993 elections. Congress candidate  from Allahabad, Ujjawal  Raman Singh, who won the election from  Allahabad, told this reporter: "UP ne to sara  game hi badal diya (UP has changed the whole  game)."   Historical Parallels: 1992 and 2024 On December 6, 1992, the Babri mosque was  demolished, an event that triggered widespread  communal unrest and led to the fall of Kalyan  Singhs government in UP. The atmosphere  across the state was charged with religious  sentiment, and the BJP was seen as the saviour  of Hindutva. However, in the subsequent 1993  elections, despite the prevailing Ram wave, the  BJP was defeated by the combined force of the  Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party,  marking a significant political shift. Mulayam  Singh Yadav was the chief minister. Fast forward to 2024, and history seems to have  repeated itself. The consecration of the Ram  temple on January 22, 2024, once again stirred a  wave of religious fervour across UP. Yet, four  months later, the election results did not favour  the BJP. The BJP lost in Ayodhya, the city Modi  transformed into a modern city by building  airports and improving infrastructure. Arun  Govil, the man who played the role of Lord Ram  in tele serial Ramayana, lost his election in  Meerut. Kalyan Singhs son Rajveer Singh too  lost from Etah. "In this election, it seems Lord Ram has deserted  the BJP," chuckled Rajendra Chaudhary, the SP  spokesman.  "BJP should know that it cannot get votes by  chanting Ram Ram. You need to perform," he  said. "The party was aspiring for 400 paar, but has  failed to cross even the 300-mark," he said. The mayhem of ballots did not spare ministers in  the Narendra Modi government as five of them,  namely Smriti Irani (Amethi), Mahendra Pandey  (Chandauli), Kaushal Kishore (Mohanlalganj),  Sanjiv Balyan (Muzaffarnagar) and Ajay Mishra  Teni (Kheri) lost elections. Maneka Gandhi too  lost from Sultanpur. Major winners include Prime Minister Narendra  Modi (Varanasi), Rahul Gandhi (Rae Bareli),  Hema Malini (Mathura) and Rajnath Singh  (Lucknow).      The National Democratic Alliance led by the  BJP was leading in only 39 constituencies, while  the INDIA bloc, a Congress-led alliance, had  secured 40 seats, with others leading in one seat.  This is a stark contrast to the 2019 results, where  the NDA had won 64 seats, the BSP 10, the SP  five and Congress one. Political analysts suggest that, similar to 1993,  voters in UP once again cast their ballots along  caste lines rather than on the Ram mandir issue.  The BJPs ambitious slogan, Ab ki baar 400  paar appears to have backfired, as it fueled  concerns about potential constitutional changes  under a robust BJP victory. The Congress  capitalised on these fears, leading to a  significant surge in their support "The way Bahujan Samaj Partys core voters got  scattered, it is very clear that Dalits this time  voted for the INDIA bloc," commented Preetam  Srivastava, a political analyst. In 2019, the BJP achieved its highest-ever vote  share, winning 62 seats with many MPs securing  over 50 per cent of the votes polled. However, in  the 2024 elections, the party witnessed an  unexpected decline in vote percentage. Despite  BJPs historical dominance in UP, having  emerged as the largest party in 1991, 1996 and  1998, this election marked a notable departure  from its previous successes. The BJP-led alliance in UP included the  Rashtriya Lok Dal, Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj  Party, and NISHAD Party. The INDIA bloc  comprised Congress, Samajwadi Party, and  other influential parties, while the Bahujan  Samaj Party contested the election  independently.

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