In the ongoing vote counting for the Milkipur Assembly by-election in Uttar Pradesh, BJP candidate Chandrabhanu Paswan is currently leading by a margin of 14,339 votes over his closest rival, Ajit Prasad of the Samajwadi Party, according to the Election Commission. With 25 more rounds of counting remaining, the race is still ongoing.
The by-election in Milkipur was triggered following the vacating of the seat by Samajwadi Party MP Awadhesh Prasad after his victory in the Lok Sabha election from Faizabad (Ayodhya) last year. The constituency saw a voter turnout of 57.13% during the February 5 election.
The by-election is closely watched, as Milkipur is a Scheduled Castes (SC)-reserved seat, holding significant importance for both political parties. In the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, Samajwadi Party’s Awadhesh Prasad had defeated BJP’s Gorakhnath, the incumbent MLA from Milkipur, with a victory margin of 54,567 votes. This was seen as a significant blow to the BJP, especially following the consecration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
Tight security measures have been enforced for the vote counting process, with paramilitary forces deployed around the clock. Ayodhya District Magistrate Chandra Vijay Singh confirmed the security arrangements to ANI, stating, “The security is complete, and paramilitary forces were deployed 24/7.”
Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav has raised concerns about alleged irregularities during the election, accusing the BJP of bringing in party workers from neighboring districts, such as Ambedkar Nagar, Sultanpur, and Amethi, for “fake voting.” He criticized the BJP for what he called a well-planned election process, claiming that presiding officers were given specific targets to meet.
In a post on social media, Yadav also claimed that police were checking the ID cards of voters, a statement that was later refuted by Ayodhya Police. The police clarified that only the booth agents’ ID cards were being checked, not those of the voters, and urged Yadav to avoid making false statements.
As the counting continues, all eyes are on the final results, with both parties closely watching the outcome of this high-stakes by-election.