Milkipur bypoll: Campaigning ends, battle of prestige between BJP and SP on cards

Stage set for direct contest between BJP’s Chandrabhan Paswan and SP’s Ajeet Prasad; Azad Samaj Party’s SK Chaudhary and Cong rebel Bholanath Bharati working to make it a multi-cornered contest

LUCKNOW The high-pitched campaigning for the bypoll to the Milkipur assembly seat in Ayodhya ended on Monday amid public meetings, road shows, rallies, attacks and counter attacks by BJP and SP leaders/candidates. The bypoll is scheduled for February 5 and the results will be announced on February 8.

The BJP is upbeat after its victory in the bypolls to nine assembly seats in November last year. (Pic for representation)

The contest is primarily between the SP and the BJP, with both parties deploying senior leaders for campaigning. The stage is set for a direct contest between the BJP’s Chandrabhan Paswan and SP’s Ajeet Prasad. Azad Samaj Party candidate Santosh Kumar Chaudhary and Congress rebel Bholanath Bharati are working to make it a multi-cornered contest. The Bahujan Samaj Party has already announced to stay away from the contest.

The prestige of the BJP is at stake after sitting SP MLA Awadhesh Prasad defeated BJP candidate Lallu Singh on Faizabad Lok Sabha seat in 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Both Milikipur and Ayodhya assembly seats are part of the Faizabad LS constituency.

By winning the Milkipur seat, the BJP wants to give a message that its has regained the lost ground in Ayodhya region. Chief minister Yogi Adityanath has addressed around half a dozen public meetings while a battery of BJP ministers, MLAs and leaders campaigned in the constituency.

The BJP is upbeat after its victory in the byelection to nine assembly seats in November last year. Relying on its PDA formula to retain the seat, the SP has fielded Ajeet Prasad, son of Awadesh Prasad. Top SP leaders, including party chief Akhilesh Yadav and SP MP from Mainpuri Lok Sabha seat Dimple Yadav, addressed a public meeting and participated in road shows to win support of voters.

According to political observers, Dalit and Brahmin votes will be the deciding factor in the bypoll. In the absence of BSP, both the BJP and SP are trying to woo Dalit voters. “In 2022 assembly election, a large chunk of Brahmin votes went to SP. But BJP leaders of Brahmin community campaigned in Brahmin dominated villages to win support for the bypoll,” said Jitendra Pandey, a resident of Dharauli village.