Yogi Adityanath chairs marathon meet on Uttar Pradesh bypoll strategy, tells ministers to hold chaupals

Smarting from its poor performance in the 2024 General Election in Uttar Pradesh, the ruling BJP on Saturday held a marathon meeting in Lucknow to strategise on the 10 upcoming Assembly bypolls (schedule for nine of which has been announced by the EC) and decided to hold corner meetings with voters.

Chairing the meeting, UP CM Yogi Adityanath assigned specific responsibilities to all ministers and BJP office-bearers in the 10 segments. Also present were Yogi’s deputies Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak and BJP UP chief Bhupendra Chaudhary, in signs that the party’s state unit was back together as one after post LS poll disunity.

In LS elections, the BJP managed to win only 33 of UP’s 80 seats, down from 62 in 2019. The SP won 37. Sources said Yogi today assigned responsibilities to ministers and BJP leaders at the meeting and sought “loyalty and dedication” to win the bypolls which, he said, would reflect public trust in the BJP.

Yogi has asked ministers to hold chaupals to understand and address problems of the public and told them to spend more time in the districts where the elections are being held. The CM had earlier assigned each segment to one minister.

In signs that the BJP has decided to trust Yogi with bypoll planning after facing a drugging in LS polls where his advice was ignored, Chaudhary said, “The BJP will contest the elections with full strength under the leadership of CM Yogi Adityanath.”

So far, the Election Commission has announced scheduled for nine by-elections in UP, with the announcement of Milkipur bypoll pending. Yogi has made the win in Milkipur, which falls in Faizabad LS segment that houses Ayodhya Ram Temple, a prestige point.

SP’s Awadhesh Singh, who was the Milkipur MLA earlier, had defeated the BJP in Faizabad Lok Sabha constituency and now it has fielded Singh’s son from Milkipur. There is a lot at stake in the 10 seats which will see bye-elections, with five of these previously held by the Samajwadi Party and five by the NDA alliance.

The BJP held three of these seats, Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) and Nishad Party one each. In the 2022 elections, SP had secured Katehari, Karhal, Sisamau and Kundarki seats, along with Milkipur in Ayodhya. Apart from these, bypolls are to be held on Phulpur, Majhawan, Ghaziabad Sadar, Khair, Meerapur seats.

The BJP meeting today saw in-depth discussions on the electoral landscape and development of targeted strategies aimed at securing victories in all contested seats. Adityanath underlined party’s commitment to a cohesive and effective campaign in the lead-up to the polls. The CM called for stronger teamwork between ministers and officials.

He emphasised that party leaders must fully commit to their responsibilities in the upcoming by-elections, leaving no stone unturned.

“Winning these elections would not only be a political achievement but also a sign of public trust, urging everyone to work with loyalty and dedication,” BJP leaders said.

The CM also directed party leaders and workers to effectively manage the elections down to the booth level, stressing that every seat is important. He called for precise management and oversight at this grassroots level and asked leaders to stay active in their communities and engage with the public through local meetings — chaupals. “The CM has instructed ministers and officials to spend more time in districts where by-elections are taking place. He stressed the importance of establishing direct communication with local residents, listening to their concerns, and ensuring quick solutions,” sources said.

The meeting also saw the attendance of UP Cabinet Ministers Swatantra Dev Singh and Surya Pratap Shahi, among others.