January 26, 2024 Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi commenced the campaign for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections by unveiling development projects worth over ₹19,100 crore at a rally in Bulandshahr, West Uttar Pradesh. The rally, scheduled three days after the inauguration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, is anticipated to blend elements of faith (aastha) and development (vikas) in the BJP’s election pitch. With a focus on the recently consecrated Ram Lalla idol, the BJP plans an extensive two-month-long event centered around the Ram temple to mobilize party cadres and supporters.
Uttar Pradesh BJP president Bhupendra Chaudhary highlighted the significance of the rally, emphasizing the mobilization of resources and a fortnight-long public contact drive in West U.P. to ensure a robust turnout. Bulandshahr, with a diverse population including Lodh Rajputs, Jats, Gujjars, Muslims, and Dalits, has been a traditional BJP stronghold. Former Chief Minister Kalyan Singh established the area as a BJP stronghold, winning the Lok Sabha seat in consecutive elections since 1991, except in 2009.
In the 2022 assembly elections, the BJP secured victory in all seven assembly seats in Bulandshahr. The party aims to build on this success and secure the remaining seats it lost to the SP-BSP alliance in 2019. The Prime Minister’s rally is expected to provide momentum to the BJP’s campaign in the region.
Opposition parties like the Samajwadi Party and the Congress are also focusing on West U.P., attempting to gain support from Muslims, Jats, and Dalits. The Congress’s U.P. Jodo Yatra and Rahul Gandhi’s upcoming Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra will cover districts in the western region. The Samajwadi Party’s PDA Yatra, launched on January 17, will also cover several districts in West U.P.
The BJP plans to counter the opposition with a massive show of strength, expecting around five lakh people to attend the Prime Minister’s rally in Bulandshahr. Key projects inaugurated by the Prime Minister include a medical college named after former CM Kalyan Singh, a double-line electrified section on the dedicated freight corridor, a four-lane highway connecting Aligarh and Kannauj, Indian Oil’s Tundla-Gawaria pipeline, and an integrated township in Greater Noida. These projects are intended to set the stage for the BJP’s election campaign in West U.P.
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