Faizabad: In the Lok Sabha elections, the BJP faced a setback in Uttar Pradesh, where it managed to win 33 seats, down from 62 seats in 2019.
The BJP's performance in Uttar Pradesh, where PM Narendra Modi chose to contest for the third time to be elected to Parliament, has been widely discussed.
The Faizabad Lok Sabha seat, also known as Ayodhya, where the famous Ram Temple was inaugurated a month before the Lok Sabha election was announced, witnessed the BJP's defeat. Here, Samajwadi Party candidate Awadhesh Prasad won against BJP's Lallu Singh with a margin of over 54,000 votes.
After the BJP's defeat, e-rickshaw drivers in Ayodhya claimed that the election results had negatively impacted their business.
News Agency ANI interviews few of the local e-rickshaw drivers who complained about the closure of roads and a slowdown in Ayodhya's development during interaction.
"We've been driving rickshaws here for 10 years, witnessing Ayodhya's beautiful development. However, the BJP government is currently facing difficulties, leading to a decline. The local BJP candidate is to blame because he neither addresses our issues nor meets with us. Ministers frequently visit but don't engage with the common people; they hold rallies and leave without interacting with the poor public," an e-rickshaw driver told ANI.
"If this situation continues, Ayodhya and other places will face similar problems. Our income has significantly dropped. Where we used to earn Rs 500-800, now even earning Rs 250 is difficult since the election results were announced on the 4th. Within just two days, the situation deteriorated. There used to be many people here," he added.
The recent Lok Sabha election results have negatively impacted their once-thriving business. With the defeat of the BJP candidate in Faizabad, where Ayodhya is located, the city's atmosphere has changed.
As they stood beside their parked rickshaws, the drivers lamented the reduced number of pilgrims and tourists. "People are sitting at places like Ram Mandir and Hanumangarhi, but right now, there are no pilgrims here," they explained. The lack of visitors means fewer rides, directly affecting their earnings.
Their income has plummeted since the election results were announced. "Earlier, there were more pilgrims; now, there are fewer," they noted.
SP MP Awadhesh Prasad's reaction after victory
Samajwadi Party's winning candidate from Faizabad (Ayodhya) Awadhesh Prasad told ANI, "BJP govt's subjects were temple, mosque, Hindus, Pakistan...the actual subjects of our country are inflation, that fact that crores of youths are unemployed...7 lakh youths enrolled to be in Police force and worked hard but the exam paper got leaked...time is not far off when the whole BJP would be wiped out of the country..."
