Four reasons BJP lost the edge in Uttar Pradesh

#1 The message was wrong

- The love jihad bogey proved to be just that - a bogey. The BJP's state unit first raised the issue of love jihad in the party's state executive meeting held on August 23-24. After that, the BJP raised the issue in every subsequent election rally. The party may be ahead in the riot affected Saharanpur assembly by election but it lost Thakurdwara assembly by election in Moradabad, another riot affected district.- It didn't help that the BJP's government at the Centre provided Z plus security to Muzaffarnagar riots accused.

#2 The man at the top was wrong

-The BJP test drove firebrand leader and five-time MP from Gorakhpur, Yogi Adityanath, putting him at the steering wheel of its campaign for the 11 Assembly seats. On August 26, the BJP declared Adityanath as the man in charge, and not so coincidentally, a controversial video was released the next day which spoke of conversion. Adityanath made it the leitmotif of his campaign. It didn't work. Not surprising because western UP is not his turf.

#3 The party didn't prepare

-August 27 was the last day for filing the nomination for by polls, and the BJP declared its candidates only the day before, unlike the Samajwadi Party which declared its candidates in July.

- There was factionalism they couldn't contain. There was discontent with the BJP's chosen candidates in Mainpuri Parliament seat and Charkhari, Belha and Thakurdwara assembly seats.

 #4 The traditional castes didn't support them

-Thakurs were not amused. The controversy surrounding Rajnath Singh's son Pankaj and the clear sidelining of the home minister harmed the traditional Thakur voter. It was especially clear in the Mainpuri Parliament seat.- The sidelining of senior BJP leader and Kanpur MP Murli Manohar Joshi didn't go down well with Brahmin voters.

-It didn't help that Uttar Pradesh's most prominent Lodh leader was stuck in Rajasthan as governor and unable to campaign in western Uttar Pradesh and Bundelkhand.