A Setback, Comeback & Slogan: The Year That Was For Uttar Pradesh Politics

Last Updated:December 20, 2024, 12:04 IST

2024 year-ender: From the BJP’s steep decline in the Lok Sabha elections to its resilient comeback in the bypolls, Uttar Pradesh witnessed a rollercoaster

The year has set the stage for the crucial 2027 UP assembly polls. (File)

As the year heads to a close, it will be remembered for its dramatic twists and turns, especially within the state’s political circles. Be it the Samajwadi Party’s (SP) remarkable comeback in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls or UP chief minister (CM) Yogi Adityanath reclaiming the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) lost glory in the bypolls by winning seven seats after the LS debacle, the political temperature was high throughout.

It also set the stage for the crucial 2027 UP state assembly polls.

Other than ‘ups and downs’, the year would also be remembered for the UP CM’s ‘infamous’ catchphrase ‘batenge to katenge’ slogan, which later became a political flashpoint across the country.

“I express my gratitude to the respected voters of UP who voted for the good governance and development of Uttar Pradesh and hearty congratulations to all the winning candidates. Batenge to katenge. Ek hain to safe hain," said Adityanath, soon after the BJP’s dominant performance in the 2024 bypolls in which the BJP bagged seven seats, leaving Samajwadi Party (SP) with just two of the nine seats on which bypolls were held.

THE ‘UPS’ FOR BJP

UP bypolls were the latest political affair. Political experts, who termed the bypolls as the ‘battle of prestige’ for the BJP, bracketed UP bypolls among the ‘ups’ for the BJP. In the byelections, held for nine assembly constituencies, the BJP registered a thumping win.

Of the nine constituencies in the contest, the BJP won six, another seat was won by its ally RLD, while the opposition SP ended up with two. Political analysts described the outcome as a triumph of the BJP’s ‘batenge to katenge’ (if divided, we will be slaughtered) narrative over the SP’s ‘judenge to jeetenge’ (if united, we will be victorious) slogan.

Of the nine assembly seats, eight had fallen vacant after their MLAs, including SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, were elected to the Lok Sabha in the April-June general elections, while the SP MLA from Sisamau (Kanpur), Irfan Solanki, was convicted in a criminal case and sentenced to seven years imprisonment.

Among these, the BJP won Ghaziabad, Majhawan, Khair, Phulpur, Kundarki, and Katehari, while its ally RLD won Meerapur. The SP won Sisamau and Karhal.

THE ‘DOWNS’ FOR BJP

Other than the bypolls, UP also witnessed a fierce political battle – the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the mega political event held earlier this year. It saw a direct fight between the BJP and Samajwadi Party (SP), an INDIA bloc partner. Once the unrivalled frontrunner in UP, the BJP saw its seat tally tumble from an impressive 62 seats in 2019 to just 33 in 2024. Its allies, Apna Dal (Soneylal) and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), managed to secure only one and two seats, respectively.

In stark contrast, the opposition bloc, Indian Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), led by the SP and Congress, emerged as the new force to reckon with. The SP’s spectacular resurgence brought it 37 seats — a staggering rise of 32 seats compared to 2019 where it won just five seats. The Congress also improved its standing, winning six seats, up from just one in the previous election.

UP BYPOLL VALIDATION FOR YOGI

The 2024 byelection results in UP marked a turning point for Adityanath, delivering a much-needed validation for his leadership, following the Lok Sabha setback.

The loss of 29 MPs in the state had cast doubts on Yogi’s political strategies and raised questions about his capacity to lead the party in turbulent times. Yogi adopted a proactive approach, focusing on strengthening grassroots connections and ensuring bureaucratic accountability to deliver tangible results. His recalibrated strategy, emphasising discipline and collective effort, resonated with voters who sought stability and direction.

This renewed focus paid off in the bypolls, where the BJP staged a comeback, regaining ground in UP. The byelection success not only restored confidence in Yogi’s leadership, but also set the stage for the party’s strategy heading into the 2027 UP Assembly elections.

BATENGE TO KATENGE

The slogan first surfaced in August 2024 amid reports of attacks on Hindus following Sheikh Hasina’s ouster in Bangladesh, signalling a call for unity. Addressing a public gathering in Agra, the CM declared, “Nothing can be above the nation. And the nation will be empowered only when we are united… Batenge to katenge, ek rahenge to nek rahenge."

The slogan made the headlines on October 26, when Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale backed the statement, underscoring Hindu unity as the Sangh’s “lifetime pledge". Reinforcing the RSS’s longstanding emphasis on solidarity, Hosabale had remarked, “If the Hindu society does not remain united, then ‘batenge to katenge’ could become a reality."

However, the phrase attracted strong criticism from the opposition. Yadav took a sharp dig, calling it a “negative slogan" that reflects the BJP’s “disappointment and failure". Yadav further claimed that the remark will go down in history as the “worst slogan", predicting it would mark the BJP’s political decline.

In response, deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya defended the CM and dismissed the opposition’s interpretation. He argued that the slogan was not representative of the BJP’s official stance, reiterating PM Narendra Modi’s slogan, ‘sabka saath, sabka vikas’, as the party’s guiding principle. Maurya also ridiculed Yadav’s PDA slogan, labelling it ‘Parivaar Development Agency’.

Meanwhile, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati criticised both the BJP and SP for engaging in what she termed “misleading slogans". She accused them of using divisive rhetoric to distract people from their governance failures, urging voters to see through the political posturing.

The year will undoubtedly be etched in UP’s political history as one of its most pivotal moments. From the BJP’s steep decline in the Lok Sabha elections to its resilient comeback in the bypolls, the state witnessed a rollercoaster of events.

As 2027’s state assembly elections loom, 2024 has set the stage for high-stakes battles, with parties recalibrating their strategies in a bid to claim the heartland’s political throne.

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