By Tajdar H. Zaidi
Lucknow: The Election Commission (EC) is yet to release the schedule for by-polls in the 10 assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh, where the Congress-Samajwadi Party stunned the BJP in the recent Lok Sabha elections. After a massive jolt in the general elections, the ruling party is under huge pressure to regain its hold while the opposition would want to continue the momentum ahead of the assembly polls.
The Samajwadi Party (SP) and Congress have announced they will contest under the INDIA bloc. The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has also begun its preparations. The seats fell vacant after nine assembly members including SP chief Akhilesh Yadav were elected to Lok Sabha, while SP MLA from Sisamau MLA Irfan Solanki of Kanpur was disqualified after he was sentenced to jail in a criminal case.
Of the ten seats that have fallen vacant, five were won by the Samajwadi Party in 2022 while one seat was bagged by the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), which was then in alliance with the SP. The RLD is currently part of the NDA. The BJP had won three seats and one seat went to its ally Nishad Party.
The Samajwadi Party held Milkipur (Ayodhya), Karhal (Mainpuri), Katehari (Ambedkar Nagar), and Kundarki (Moradabad). Awadhesh Prasad, who stunned the BJP by winning the Ayodhya Lok Sabha seat, was the MLA from Milkipur. SP chief Akhilesh Yadav had bagged Karhal.
The BJP held Ghaziabad, Phulpur, and Khair assembly seats. The saffron party’s three MLAs won the Lok Sabha elections and will now move to Delhi.
The BJP will go all out to retain these seats and add a few more to boost the morale of its cadre ahead of the next big elections in 2027 when the political fate of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will be decided.
While the SP and the Congress have expressed confidence that they will continue their winning streak, the BJP is also preparing to do “something special” in the by-elections to increase its “credibility”. BJP’s state media in-charge Manish Dixit said the NDA will contest the assembly by-elections with full strength.
“There is no pressure anywhere, rather the NDA will fight the assembly by-elections with full strength. BJP workers are always ready for public service and elections,” he said, adding that the party will fight the elections will all its might and the result will be a special achievement.
Samajwadi Party (SP) chief spokesperson and national secretary Rajendra Chaudhary said preparations for by-elections had been started on all the vacant seats and in alliance with the Congress party. “The committee formed for management in the Lok Sabha elections is preparing for these 10 seats and national president Akhilesh Yadav will form a new committee for this after the Parliament session,” he said.
