Can CM Yogi Adityanath Wrest The Milkipur Seat From SP In Assembly Bypoll?

By Pradeep Kapoor

LUCKNOW: Can Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath wrest Milkipur assembly seat from Samajwadi Party for BJP in by-poll scheduled on February 5 to avenge humiliating defeat of saffron brigade in Ayodhya Lok Sabha seat.

Samajwadi Party shocked BJP during Lok Sabha polls when Party candidate and dalit leader Awadhesh Prasad who was sitting MLA from Milkipur defeated BJP candidate. It would be worth mentioning here that Milkipur is the assembly segment of Ayodhya Lok Sabha seat. Samajwadi Party not only won 37 seats in UP but defeated BJP in and around Ayodhya and neighbouring districts.

Samajwadi Party national President Akhilesh Yadav surprised the nation when his party emerged as the third largest party in Lok Sabha after BJP and Congress with 37 MPs. Samajwadi Party celebrated the victory as a big win of secular forces at a time when BJP thought of weaving a wave all over the state after the construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

Akhilesh Yadav projected Ayodhya MP as a national hero and made arrangement to provide Awadhesh Prasad seat in Lok Sabha next to him. There was no doubt that decline in number of seats won in previous elections lowered the morale of BJP but defeat in Ayodhya was a big humiliation.

After the elections, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took the responsibility of Milkipur assembly constituency and supervised the posting of the officials in the area and deputed seven ministers to interact with different sections of the society to mobilise support for BJP in by-elections.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath himself visited Milkipur five times and announced several welfare schemes to win over the support of the local voters. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has staked his personal prestige in this by-election and has given message to local voters that they should vote in his name as to who became candidate was immaterial.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will perform special puja at Ram Mandir Ayodhya to celebrate one year of the new temple. He is expecting its political benefits in Milkipur by-poll. On the hand ,Samajwadi Party which weaved magic with its formula of PDA (pichda, dalit and alpsankhayak) and won 37 Lok Sabha seats in UP, is under tremendous pressure to retain the seat.

Samajwadi Party has the caste support in its favour. With the voters being predominantly dalits, yadavs and Muslims. Samajwadi Party won this seat in 2012 , lost in 2017 but again captured in 2022.Samajwadi Party is once again pursuing the formula of PDA and announced Ajeet Prasad son of Ayodhya MP Awadhesh Prasad as the candidate who is busy in door-door campaign with his father.

Samajwadi Party is aware that it would be very difficult to retain this seat in view of strategy adopted by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in recently concluded by-polls for nine seats where BJP won six seats and one by ally RLD while Samajwadi Party could win only two seats. Significantly enough, BJP won Kundarki assembly seat with predominantly Muslim voters.

Apprehending misuse of official machinery on polling day Samajwadi Party has demanded webcasting of all the 417 polling booths of Milkipur and asked the state election Commission to provide the link of webcasting to the candidates of recognised political parties.

Samajwadi Party national president Akhilesh Yadav recently alleged that videos exposed large-scale bungling and misuse of official machinery in the by-elections held for nine seats few months back.

Milkipur by-poll has evoked interest all over the country especially after the defeat of BJP in Ayodhya in Lok Sabha polls. The victory of Samajwadi Party will boost the morale of Akhilesh Yadav for 2027 assembly polls. (IPA Service)