Amid war of words, SP candidate files nomination in Pasi vs Pasi contest
SP candidate hurls ‘outsider’ allegation at his BJP rival who says people of all castes will vote for the party and the development plank will take him to victory
Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate Ajeet Prasad, who is facing a challenge from the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Chandrabhan Paswan in a Pasi vs Pasi contest, filed his nomination for the Milkipur assembly bypoll on Wednesday, asserting that he was a local and claiming that his election rival was an outsider.
On the other hand, Paswan expressed confidence that people of all castes will vote for the BJP, which is looking to wrest the seat from the Samajwadi Party, a six-time winner in Milkipur. Both Ajeet Prasad and Chandrabhan Paswan belong to the Pasi community.
In the absence of Bahujan Samaj Party from the bypoll fray, both SP and BJP candidates are looking to get more and more Dalit voters on to their side. Also, the Congress has announced that it will not contest the Milkipur by-polls, making it a direct contest between the SP and the BJP.
Expressing confidence in winning the seat, Ajeet Prasad, son of SP MP from Faizabad Awadhesh Prasad, said locals will not vote for the BJP candidate.
“The BJP could not find a local candidate from Milkipur and that is why they have brought someone from outside. If someone faces some issue, then will he go to Rudauli? I am a local from Milkipur and been active here since 2008. The biggest issue in Milkipur is of stray animals. The government has never taken a concrete step in this regard. The farmers have to protect their crop round the clock from stray animals,” he said.
For his part, Chandrabhan Paswan, who has been a member of the Zila Panchayat from Rudauli, said, “I want to thank our party leadership for giving a chance to a common worker like me. It doesn’t matter how many times the other party has won from here, people of Milkipur are with me and issue will be of development. Our BJP government is working on the agenda of Sabka Sath Sabka Vikas and I am sure people of Milkipur will make us win comfortably in the by-polls. People of all castes will be voting for BJP in the by-polls.”Paswan is considered close to former BJP MP from Faizabad Lallu Singh, who was defeated by Ajeet Prasad’s father Awadhesh Prasad in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Samajwadi Party spokesperson Ajeet Ranjan said it will be the SP which will gain from the absence of the BSP in the poll fray.
“There is no competition in Milkipur against the SP as the party has been winning from there for quite some time. The BJP was unable to find a candidate initially, now when the dates for nomination ending are near, they have announced their candidate after much infighting and protest from its own people. The caste lines don’t matter in Milkipur. All the PDA people from Milkipur stand firmly with the Samajwadi Party.” PDA is acronym that stands for Pichda (backwards), Dalits and Alpsankhyak (minorities). The Milkipur seat fell vacant after Awadesh Prasad defeated two-time BJP MP from Faizabad Lallu Singh in 2024 Lok Sabha poll by 54,567 votes. Prasad bagged 554,289 votes and Singh 499,722 votes.
The Samajwadi Party won the Milkipur seat in the 1996, 2002, 2012 and 2022 state assembly polls, besides the 1998 and 2004 by-elections. The BJP has won the seat only twice in 1991 and 2017. Mathura Prasad Tewari won the Milkipur seat for the BJP in 1991 and Baba Gorakhnath bagged it in 2017. Gorakhnath lost to Awadhesh Prasad in 2022. Polling in Milkipur is scheduled for February 5. Votes will be counted on February 8.
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