Ayodhya (UP), construction of Ram temple was the main issue of BJP's campaign across the country. The irony is that the election pitch did not work in Ayodhya.
Faizabad Lok Sabha constituency, which covers the temple city, rejected its two-time MP Lallu Singh in the Lok Sabha elections. Awadhesh Prasad of Samajwadi Party defeated him by 54,567 votes.
The Ayodhya defeat comes in the backdrop of a setback for the ruling BJP across the state – it won just 33 seats this time compared to 62 in 2019. One reason could be the demolition of houses for wider roads.But some local people could not stop themselves from taking recourse to Ramayana for the defeat of BJP.
Prajwal Singh, who runs a homestay, said, "Who is Lallu Singh when Ravana could not save his Lanka because of his arrogance?" If not found, "It won't be a problem".
Singh also claimed that the BJP MP did not take his campaign seriously.
The businessman said, “The only time he was seen in Ayodhya city was during the road show organized with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.,
As a member of the RSS-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), Lallu Singh had actively participated in the 1989 movement for the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya, where the Babri Masjid once stood.
Now aged 69, he has been elected to the Uttar Pradesh Assembly five times – in addition to two stints in the Lok Sabha.
Mahant Raju Das of Hanumangarhi temple was also seen blaming the BJP's defeat not on the party but on the candidate.
“We had no problem with the BJP. However, the candidate was completely cut off from society and had developed ego,'' he said.Asked whether the BJP failed to capitalize on the temple in Ayodhya, Pujari said, “Ram temple has always been a matter of faith, not to capitalize on it. I am grateful to those who voted for BJP and did not allow anyone to lock the Ram temple.”
Ram temple chief priest Satyendra Das described the Ayodhya election results as "shocking" but attributed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's third-term victory to God's blessings. "If he has become PM again, it is because of the grace of Ram Lalla."
Ironically, the development and "beautification" of the temple town may have been a significant factor in the BJP's defeat.SP district chief Parasnath Yadav complained that houses were demolished to widen the roads. He said, "People in the land of Lord Ram said that injustice was being done to them, and they were being uprooted from their places."
Ayodhya's BJP mayor Girishpati Tripathi said, "No doubt, these Lok Sabha election results came as a shock for us." He claimed that this happened because rivals played the caste card and "somehow, we underestimated those things."
Iqbal Ansari, the plaintiff in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid case, said that before the elections, the people of Ayodhya were not told how they would vote.He also invoked God. “There are many sages and saints in Ayodhya. You can consider it God's will,'' he said.
Denying any Muslim "solidarity" against the BJP candidate, he said, "The Muslim population in Ayodhya is negligible and whether there is victory or defeat, it is because of Hindu votes."
Meira Manjhi, the 10 croreth beneficiary of the Ujjwala gas connection scheme, whose house has been visited by the Prime Minister, said that while the result was not surprising at all, she again blamed the "wrong" candidate who had promised "anything" to the voters of Ayodhya. "Not meaningful"..
Faizabad Lok Sabha constituency, which covers the temple city, rejected its two-time MP Lallu Singh in the Lok Sabha elections. Awadhesh Prasad of Samajwadi Party defeated him by 54,567 votes.
The Ayodhya defeat comes in the backdrop of a setback for the ruling BJP across the state – it won just 33 seats this time compared to 62 in 2019. One reason could be the demolition of houses for wider roads.But some local people could not stop themselves from taking recourse to Ramayana for the defeat of BJP.
Prajwal Singh, who runs a homestay, said, "Who is Lallu Singh when Ravana could not save his Lanka because of his arrogance?" If not found, "It won't be a problem".
Singh also claimed that the BJP MP did not take his campaign seriously.
The businessman said, “The only time he was seen in Ayodhya city was during the road show organized with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.,
As a member of the RSS-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), Lallu Singh had actively participated in the 1989 movement for the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya, where the Babri Masjid once stood.
Now aged 69, he has been elected to the Uttar Pradesh Assembly five times – in addition to two stints in the Lok Sabha.
Mahant Raju Das of Hanumangarhi temple was also seen blaming the BJP's defeat not on the party but on the candidate.
“We had no problem with the BJP. However, the candidate was completely cut off from society and had developed ego,'' he said.Asked whether the BJP failed to capitalize on the temple in Ayodhya, Pujari said, “Ram temple has always been a matter of faith, not to capitalize on it. I am grateful to those who voted for BJP and did not allow anyone to lock the Ram temple.”
Ram temple chief priest Satyendra Das described the Ayodhya election results as "shocking" but attributed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's third-term victory to God's blessings. "If he has become PM again, it is because of the grace of Ram Lalla."
Ironically, the development and "beautification" of the temple town may have been a significant factor in the BJP's defeat.SP district chief Parasnath Yadav complained that houses were demolished to widen the roads. He said, "People in the land of Lord Ram said that injustice was being done to them, and they were being uprooted from their places."
Ayodhya's BJP mayor Girishpati Tripathi said, "No doubt, these Lok Sabha election results came as a shock for us." He claimed that this happened because rivals played the caste card and "somehow, we underestimated those things."
Iqbal Ansari, the plaintiff in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid case, said that before the elections, the people of Ayodhya were not told how they would vote.He also invoked God. “There are many sages and saints in Ayodhya. You can consider it God's will,'' he said.
Denying any Muslim "solidarity" against the BJP candidate, he said, "The Muslim population in Ayodhya is negligible and whether there is victory or defeat, it is because of Hindu votes."
Meira Manjhi, the 10 croreth beneficiary of the Ujjwala gas connection scheme, whose house has been visited by the Prime Minister, said that while the result was not surprising at all, she again blamed the "wrong" candidate who had promised "anything" to the voters of Ayodhya. "Not meaningful"..
