BJP’s election woes: Significant defeats for over 20 Modi govt ministers

The 2024 Lok Sabha elections marked a significant moment in Indian politics as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) retained power for a third consecutive term, albeit with a substantially reduced majority. But several high-profile Union Ministers of Modi cabinet have lost their elections.

The outcomes reaffirmed the dynamic nature of India's politics, highlighting critical importance of local issues, alliances, and candidate selection in shaping electoral fortunes.

Analysts attribute the loss of high-profile ministers to several factors: the threat to scrap reservations, potential changes to the Constitution, apathy towards grassroots workers, and perceived arrogance.

Notably, ten Union ministers from the BJP were fielded from UP, and seven of them lost.

Here is a list of high-profile ministers who lost with their margins of defeat :

They included Smriti Irani from Amethi (lost by 1.67 lakh votes), Mahendra Nath Pandey from Chandauli (21,565 votes), Sanjeev Balyan from Muzaffarnagar (24,672 votes), Ajay Mishra Teni from Lakhimpur Kheri (34,329 votes), Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti from Fatehpur (33,199 votes), Kaushal Kishore from Mohanlalganj SC reserved seat (70,292 votes), and Bhanu Pratap Singh Verma from Jalaun SC reserved seat (53,898 votes).

It is important to note that even those who secured victories, such as Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, experienced a significant reduction in their winning margins compared to 2019.

Rajnath Singh, who campaigned with the slogan "abki baar 5 lakh paar," saw his victory margin in Lucknow shrink from 3.47 lakh votes in 2019 to just 1.3 lakh votes in the recent election.

These outcomes highlight the significant electoral challenges faced by the BJP, underscoring the dynamic and shifting nature of voter preferences in various regions across the country.