Bypolls to 10 Assembly seats INDIA bloc’s 1st major test in UP since Lok Sabha gains
LUCKNOW: The unity and electoral performance of the INDIA bloc will be put to the test in bypolls for 10 Assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh.
After delivering an impressive performance in the recent Lok Sabha elections, securing 40 seats that halted the BJP’s juggernaut, the opposition alliance will aim to present a united front against the ruling BJP in Uttar Pradesh. Despite their success, the saffron party fell short of a simple majority.
However, the two key INDIA bloc allies in Uttar Pradesh — the Samajwadi Party (SP) and Congress — are yet to finalise a seat-sharing agreement for the bypolls. The Congress has expressed interest in contesting five of the 10 seats, a proposal that the SP may not agree with.
Leaders from both parties emphasise their common goal of defeating the BJP and remain confident that they will contest the bypolls together.
Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Rai stated, “The party is organising ‘Samvidhan Bachao Sammelans’ (Save the Constitution conferences) in all 10 Assembly constituencies that are going to the polls. Two such conferences have already been held. We have appointed in-charges and observers for all 10 seats, and groundwork is underway.”
The Assembly seats where bypolls are due include Katehari (Ambedkar Nagar), Karhal (Mainpuri), Milkipur (Ayodhya), Meerapur (Muzaffarnagar), Ghaziabad, Majhawan (Mirzapur), Sishamau (Kanpur City), Khair (Aligarh), Phulpur (Prayagraj), and Kundarki (Moradabad).
Nine of these seats became vacant after their MLAs were elected as MPs in the Lok Sabha elections, while the bypoll for the Sishamau seat is being held due to the disqualification of SP MLA Irfan Solanki, who was convicted in a criminal case.
“We have proposed to contest five Assembly seats — Majhawan (Mirzapur), Phulpur (Prayagraj), Ghaziabad, Khair (Aligarh), and Meerapur (Muzaffarnagar) — to our leadership. These are seats where BJP candidates previously won,” Rai added.
In the 2022 Assembly polls, the SP won the Sishamau, Katehari, Karhal, Milkipur, and Kundarki seats. The Phulpur, Ghaziabad, Majhawan, and Khair seats were held by the BJP, while the Meerapur seat was held by the RLD.
In the Lok Sabha elections held in April-May, the INDIA bloc partners saw the Samajwadi Party win 37 seats, while Congress secured six. The BJP won 33 seats (a drop from 62 in 2019), with its allies Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) and Apna Dal (Sonelal) winning two and one seat, respectively. The Azad Samaj Party won one seat.
“This time, the BJP will not be able to engage in any foul play at the polling booths,” SP leader Ram Gopal Yadav stated. “We are preparing at the booth level and focusing on strengthening our party’s presence there.”
The dates for the by-elections have not yet been announced.
The Karhal seat fell vacant after SP chief Akhilesh Yadav was elected as an MP from Kannauj, while the Katehari seat was vacated by SP’s Lalji Verma, who was elected as an MP from Ambedkar Nagar.
SP leader Awadhesh Prasad resigned from his Milkipur seat after being elected to the Lok Sabha from Ayodhya, and Zia-ur Rahman Barq vacated his Kundarki seat in Moradabad following his election to the Sambhal Lok Sabha seat.
Rashtriya Lok Dal’s Chandan Chauhan resigned from his Meerapur seat in Muzaffarnagar after being elected to the Lok Sabha from Bijnor. The Ghaziabad seat was vacated after BJP’s Atul Garg was elected to the Ghaziabad Lok Sabha seat.
BJP’s Vinod Kumar Bind resigned from the Majhawan Assembly seat in Mirzapur after being elected to the Lok Sabha from Bhadohi. BJP leader Anoop Singh, also known as Anoop Pradhan Balmiki, vacated his Khair seat in Aligarh after his election from Hathras.
Finally, the Phulpur seat was vacated by BJP’s Praveen Patel, following his election to the Lok Sabha from the Phulpur constituency.
