By-elections for 9 assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh have been announced. Voting will take place on November 13, and the results will be declared on November 23. However, elections will not be held in the Milkipur seat of Ayodhya for now, as a petition related to this seat is pending in the High Court.
Why was the Milkipur seat election postponed?
The news of no elections being held in the Milkipur assembly constituency has surprised many. Even in the Election Commission’s press release, this seat was not mentioned. When Dainik Bhaskar inquired with Ayodhya DM Chand Vijay Singh and UP Chief Electoral Officer Navdeep Rinwa, neither could provide clear information.
Navdeep Rinwa stated that a petition was filed by BJP candidate Baba Gorakhnath, who contested from Milkipur in the 2022 assembly elections. He had requested the Allahabad High Court’s Lucknow bench to cancel the election of Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate Awadhesh Prasad and declare himself elected. Since the court’s verdict on this petition is still pending, the by-election in Milkipur has not been announced.
Baba Gorakhnath alleged that SP candidate Awadhesh Prasad had submitted false documents during the nomination process. He claimed that Awadhesh’s affidavit, used during the nomination, was expired, and according to the rules, such a nomination should have been canceled. Based on this, Gorakhnath filed a petition, which is still pending in court.
By-elections to be held in 9 seats
By-elections will be held on November 13 in 9 assembly constituencies in Uttar Pradesh. Four of these seats were held by the Samajwadi Party (SP), while five were with the BJP and NDA. The seats include Katehri (Ambedkarnagar), Phulpur (Prayagraj), Khair (Aligarh), Majhwan (Mirzapur), Sisamau (Kanpur), Karhal (Mainpuri), Kundarki (Moradabad), Ghaziabad Sadar, and Meerapur (Muzaffarnagar).
Key Seats and Candidates
- Karhal (Mainpuri): Tej Pratap Singh Yadav, nephew of SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, has been fielded from this seat. It is a Yadav-dominated seat where SP holds significant influence. The BJP is yet to announce its candidate.
- Katehri (Ambedkarnagar): SP MP Lalji Verma’s wife Shobhavati Verma is SP’s candidate here. The BJP is considering former candidate Awadhesh Dwivedi and Ramashankar Singh as potential candidates.
- Kundarki (Moradabad): Mohammad Rizwan is being discussed as SP’s candidate, while BJP might field Ramveer Singh.
- Khair (Aligarh): This seat has a significant Jat population. Surendra Diler’s name is being widely discussed as the BJP candidate.
- Ghaziabad Sadar: The BJP has not yet announced its candidate, while Dolly Sharma from the SP-Congress alliance is vying for the seat.
- Meerapur (Muzaffarnagar): BSP has fielded Shahnazar, while RLD’s Nawazish Alam and SP’s Qadir Rana are in talks.
- Phulpur (Prayagraj): SP has nominated former MLA Mustafa Siddiqui, while BSP has chosen Shivbaran Pasi.
- Majhwan (Mirzapur): SP has nominated former MP Ramesh Bind’s daughter Dr. Jyoti Bind. The BJP plans to contest here in alliance with the Nishad Party.
- Sisamau (Kanpur): SP has fielded Naseem Solanki, wife of former MLA Irfan Solanki, while potential BJP candidates include Salil Vishnoi and Ajay Kapoor.
Caste Calculations in the Election
Caste equations will play a key role in these by-elections. Seats like Karhal, Katehri, Kundarki, Khair, Meerapur, and Sisamau are seeing candidates chosen based on caste alignments. SP is focusing on its PDA (Backward, Dalit, and Minority) formula, while the BJP is strategizing its candidates based on caste calculations.
Political Parties’ Preparations
All major political parties are fully prepared for the by-elections. SP, BJP, and BSP have announced their candidates for most seats. The BJP has already assigned responsibilities to its leaders and workers for the elections, while SP chief Akhilesh Yadav is actively participating in the campaign. BSP has fielded its candidates on five seats, and the Congress is exploring alliance possibilities with SP on some seats.
In this by-election, a direct contest between the BJP and SP is expected. Both parties have attempted to balance the caste equations. It remains to be seen who will emerge victorious when the results are declared on November 23.
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