Milkipur: The results of the by-election for the Milkipur assembly seat will be declared on Saturday (8 February). The counting of votes began at 8 am. A total of 10 candidates are contesting, but the main battle is between the BJP and the Samajwadi Party. The BJP has fielded Chandrabhanu Paswan, while the Samajwadi Party has nominated Ajit Prasad.
On Thursday, Samajwadi Party members in the Lok Sabha held up a white sheet with “Election Commission” written on it in protest against the poll panel’s alleged bias during the assembly bypoll in Uttar Pradesh’s Milkipur. SP chief Akhilesh Yadav stated in the Parliament complex that he should have brought a cloth to “cover” the Election Commission (EC), as he believed the poll authority was “dead.”
SP Members Threatened by Police, Claims Akhilesh Yadav
Akhilesh Yadav alleged that Samajwadi Party members were targeted and threatened by police officials in Ayodhya, from the senior superintendent of police to lower-ranking officers. He further claimed that the EC had failed to ensure a fair election, accusing it of appointing officials from a particular caste.
“Had the EC taken strict action, the bypoll would have been conducted fairly,” Yadav said. The Kannauj MP also alleged that his party lodged 500 complaints through social media, but no action was taken.
Why Is the Bypoll Taking Place in Milkipur?
The Milkipur bypoll is a prestige battle between the Samajwadi Party and the BJP, as the seat falls within the politically significant Ayodhya district. A total of ten candidates are in the fray. The bypoll was necessitated after Awadhesh Prasad vacated the seat following his victory in the Lok Sabha elections from Faizabad.
While the Samajwadi Party aims to retain the seat, the BJP sees the bypoll as an opportunity to avenge its loss in Faizabad. In the 2022 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, Milkipur was the only seat the BJP lost in Ayodhya district.
