Churning within the ruling BJP has started after the party performed below the mark in the just concluded Lok Sabha polls.
In the election, BJP could win just 33 seats while its ally won 3 seats, but on the other hand, SP won 37 seats and Congres 6. The performance of BJP and allies were well below its expectations as compared to 2019 when it won 64 seats and in 2014, it was 71.
A major reshuffle is expected in the BJP organisation as well as in the Yogi Adityanath ministry after this loss. BJP state president Bhupendra Singh Choudhury could be replaced with some OBC or Dalit leader to bring back the OBC- Dalit vote bank which shifted to SP- Congress in several regions in these elections. Several district presidents where the party lost could be axed.
A high-level NDA meeting is slated in Delhi on Friday which will be attended by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, state president Bhupendra Singh Choudhjury and other leaders of the state. The NDA partners of Apna Dal (S), NISHAD party and SBSP too have been invited to the meeting.
All the leaders, including the CM, will leave for Delhi this evening.
CM before leaving for Delhi convened a meeting of his cabinet ministers and other senior BJP leaders at his residence to discuss the poll results. CM also reviewed the government department functioning during the day after attending Janata Darbar.
Meanwhile, a senior BJP leader told The Statesman that for now the priority is to form the next government at the centre and thereafter the reason behind the loss would be assessed.
He said that reports have already been sought from the districts where the BJP lost in this election.
“Within the next fortnight, the party will assess the reason behind the loss and will suggest ways and means to bring back the voters who shifted to the opposition parties in the elections,” he added.
The leader also admitted that there could be some changes in the organisation to rejuvenate the cadre.