BJP launches feedback drive to curb worker discontent ahead of UP polls

What Happened

Four months before the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, the BJP began a statewide feedback exercise to smooth internal rifts. Senior leaders held separate organisational meetings in Varanasi and Sultanpur, chaired respectively by national president Nitin Nabin, UP co‑in‑charges Jagdish Patel and Pradip Kumar Varma, and RSS joint general secretary Arun Kumar. The Varanasi meeting on Oct 8 gathered former Kashi region office‑bearers, national general secretary Smriti Irani, state president Pankaj Chaudhary and Jagdish Patel. Leaders heard complaints that ground workers are ignored while those who meet top leaders with bouquets receive posts. A further session on Oct 14‑15 gathered vistaraks and in‑charges of the Kashi region’s 71 seats and Gorakhpur’s 62 constituencies, where central figures warned that district MLAs were not actively countering Samajwadi Party attacks on Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, including AI‑generated videos. In Sultanpur on Oct 5, RSS chief Arun Kumar hosted a Sangh Parivar meeting where BJP leader Govind Singh Chauhan raised concerns about lack of justice at police stations and the influence of “party hoppers”.

Reaction

A senior UP BJP functionary (who asked to stay anonymous) said the meetings let workers vent and would be noted by the BJP and Sangh. An insider noted that SP workers were eager to spread Akhilesh Yadav’s posts, while BJP leaders posted birthday wishes instead of rebutting SP allegations. BJP spokesperson Rakesh Tripathi said he had no information as he was not present, and the central leadership declined to comment.

Context

The feedback drive follows the BJP’s sharp loss in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in UP, where its seats fell from 62 to 33 out of 80, while the Samajwadi Party rose to a record 37 seats. Party insiders view worker disappointment over neglect as a key factor in that setback.