The year 2024 saw major upheavals in the politics of Uttar Pradesh, with the ruling BJP making a strong comeback in the assembly bypolls after tasting defeat in the general election.

The year commenced with the inauguration of Ram Temple in Ayodhya and thereafter the crucial Lok Sabha polls followed by assembly bypolls and 2024 ended with grand preparation for the Prayagraj Mahakumbh-2025.

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From the BJP’s steep decline in the Lok Sabha elections to its resilient comeback in the bypolls, Uttar Pradesh witnessed a rollercoaster. The SP-Congress duo had won 43 out of the total 80 seats in the Lok Sabha polls but in reversal , BJP grabbed 7 out of 9 in the assembly bypolls.

This year, in a setback, the number of BJP MPs in the state decreased from 62 to 32 and that of NDA from 64 to 36. As a result, the state’s dominance in national politics declined and Varanasi MP Narendra Modi, for the first time in his journey from CM to PM, had to form a coalition government in which the BJP does not have an absolute majority.

But by the end of the year, the state witnessed several controversies over excavation of religious places in Sambhal, Badaun, Moradabad, Bulandshahr  and other places. Besides, the court was still hearing the demand for survey of Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi, Taj Mahal , Tile wall mosque in Lucknow, Jama Maszid in Sambhal and in other places too.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s slogan of “Batoge to Katoge” during UP assembly bypolls too created much controversy. But this slogan along with excavation  of religious places have toned up polarised politics of BJP in the way for 2027 assembly polls in the state.

Though opposition particularly SP has raked up its PDA( Pichra, Dalit, Alpasankyak) and was trying to thrust on it to win the 2027 polls in UP like the Lok Sabha polls. Congress was  far behind in generating its popularity among the masses and there is very less chance of any pre-poll alliance between Congress and SP in the coming assembly polls.

Death of mafia don Mukhtar Ansari, who was lodged in the Banda jail ,in a heart attack on March 28, also witnessed an end of an era of crime in Purvanchal. Besides,  encounter of Mangesh Yadav in Sultanpur by UP Police also attracted opposition ire for being selective in action on the basis of caste.

The state also witnessed a horrifying incident on July 2 when 121 people ,mostly women and children were killed in a stampede in Hathras during a religious function of Bhole Baba.

However, the year started with  Ramlala ascending the throne after waiting for 500 years in Ayodhya on January 22.

Ram temple was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

During the year, the UP government had received investment proposals worth Rs 40 lakh crore in the Global Investors Summit-2023. Under GCB-IV, investment proposals worth Rs 10 lakh crore were implemented in two days (19-20 February 2024). Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched this historic initiative under the leadership of Yogi in an event held at Indira Gandhi Pratishthan.

UP  remained quite prosperous from the health point of view in 2024. This year the state got the gift of 18 medical colleges. Government medical colleges opened in Bijnor, Bulandshahr, Kushinagar, Pilibhit, Sultanpur, Kanpur Dehat, Lalitpur, Lakhimpur Kheri, Gonda, Auraiya, Chandauli, Kaushambi and Sonbhadra. Two medical colleges were opened in the private sector and three on PPP mode too. Besides, PM Modi virtually inaugurated Rae Bareli AIIMS on  February 25. At present Rae Bareli and Gorakhpur AIIMS are functioning in Uttar Pradesh.

Yogi Adityanath government made major reforms in the system which was running since 2001 and amended the scholarship for Sanskrit students after 24 years. Scholarship was increased up to three times. More than 1.5 lakh students studying in Sanskrit language benefited from this. For the first time, students of classes 6, 7 and 8 were also added to the scholarship.

Deepotsav in Ayodhya in the year 2024 broke its old record by setting a new record in the Guinness Book of World Records. Under the leadership of CM Yogi, 25 lakh 12 thousand 585 lamps were lit in Ramnagari. Last time in 2023, 22.23 lakh lamps were lit. For the first time in 2024, 1121 Vedacharyas created a record by performing Saryu Aarti.

 The CM announced to increase the compensation payable for the third phase of land acquisition for Jewar ( Noida) Airport from Rs 3100 per square meter to Rs 4300 per square meter.

 The first aircraft validation flight landed successfully at Noida International Airport on December 9. Preparations are underway to start the airport in 2025.

UP also witnessed another landmark when 36.80 crore saplings were planted, forest cover and tree cover increased by 559.19 square km in UP as reported by ISFR.