Local Issues Overshadow Ram Mandir as BJP Loses Faizabad Seat That Includes Ayodhya

Faizabad: In a surprising turn of events, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lost its stronghold in Faizabad, Uttar Pradesh, during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The constituency, which includes the temple town of Ayodhya, was won by Samajwadi Party’s (SP) Awadhesh Prasad, defeating two-term BJP incumbent Lallu Singh.

Despite the BJP’s heavy emphasis on the Ayodhya Ram Mandir as a key electoral issue, local concerns and anti-incumbency sentiment seemingly overshadowed national themes.

Other notable upsets include Rahul Gandhi (Congress) defeating BJP’s Dinesh Singh in Rae Bareli by a record 4 lakh votes and SP’s Utkarsh Verma beating Union Minister Ajay Mishra “Teni” in Kheri by 25,494 votes