
Until 5 pm, the constituency had registered a 65.25% voter turnout. The by-election, necessitated by the resignation of SP’s Awadhesh Prasad, who was elected to the Lok Sabha in 2024, is a direct contest between BJP’s Chandrabhanu Paswan and SP’s Ajit Prasad. Awadhesh Prasad gave up the seat after winning Faizabad in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, defeating sitting MP Lallu Singh of the BJP.
Tensions have run high during the campaign, with accusations of voter intimidation and alleged attempts to influence the election process. SP leader Akhilesh Yadav has demanded an investigation into claims of voter harassment by police, citing concerns over identity checks at polling stations.
The Ayodhya Police refuted these allegations, clarifying that the checks were limited to polling agents.
चुनाव आयोग तुरंत इस समाचार से जुड़ी तस्वीरों का संज्ञान ले कि अयोध्या की पुलिस मिल्कीपुर में मतदाताओं के आईडी कार्ड चेक कर रही है, जिसमें पुलिस के बड़े अधिकारी भी शामिल हैं। ये अप्रत्यक्ष रूप से मतदाताओं में भय उत्पन्न करके मतदान को प्रभावित करने का लोकतांत्रिक अपराध है। ऐसे… pic.twitter.com/dLlLXal24h
— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) February 5, 2025
उपरोक्त फोटो बूथ एजेन्ट के पहचान पत्र देखते हुए हैं, फोटो में दिख रहा व्यक्ति एक प्रत्याशी का बूथ एजेन्ट हैं जिसे उनके पहचान पत्र देखकर प्रमाणित किया गया है। कृपया भ्रामक टवीट न करें।
— AYODHYA POLICE (@ayodhya_police) February 5, 2025
The stakes are high for both parties. Milkipur, part of the Ayodhya district, is a critical constituency due to its proximity to the Ram Janmabhoomi site.
The SP’s victory in last year’s Lok Sabha elections, with Awadhesh Prasad securing a surprise win in Faizabad, has shifted the political landscape in the region, heightening the importance of this by-poll.
BJP has focused on a campaign centred around Hindutva, with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and several key ministers actively participating in rallies.
The BJP aims to retain Milkipur, which it lost in the 2022 assembly elections, largely due to the influence of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement.
Yogi Adityanath has targeted SP’s alleged connections with criminal elements and sought to rally support around Hindu unity.
The SP has focused on grassroots-level campaigning, leveraging its established support among the Yadav and Dalit communities. The party is working to counter the BJP’s Hindutva narrative by addressing local issues and strengthening its base.
The election is shaping up to be a key indicator of political trends in Uttar Pradesh, with both parties vying to secure a win in this crucial constituency.
(Edited by : Sudarsanan Mani)
First Published: Feb 5, 2025 6:22 PM IST