The Prestige Battle For Ayodhya — Why Milkipur Bypoll Result Is Important For BJP And SP
Milkipur Byelection Result: The Milkipur bypoll is a prestige battle for the BJP and Samajwadi Party, after the saffron party's loss in the Lok Sabha poll in Ayodhya (Faizabad).
Milkipur Bypoll Result: The Milkipur bypoll in Uttar Pradesh is not just any election. It is a prestige battle for both the BJP and the Samajwadi Party. Reason? The constituency's symbolic importance in Uttar Pradesh is due to its location in Ayodhya.
Located about an hour's drive from Ayodhya, Milkipur is part of the Faizabad Lok Sabha constituency, a region that has seen major political upheavals in recent times. The constituency was formed in 1967 and has been dominated by various political parties and leaders.
#WATCH | मिल्कीपुर की लड़ाई कुंभ की भगदड़ पर आ गई क्या? देखिए वरिष्ठ पत्रकार @manojrajant के साथ चर्चा
— ABP News (@ABPNews) February 2, 2025
'सीधा सवाल' संदीप चौधरी के साथhttps://t.co/smwhXUROiK#SeedhaSawaal #SandeepChaudhary #MahakumbhStampede #Politics #Milkipur pic.twitter.com/6AzWWD8YTb
After last year's hurried inauguration of the Ayodhya Ram Mandir, the BJP was banking on Hindu voters to win the Faizabad Lok Sabha seat for the third time in a row. However, Hindutva merely couldn't cut it for the BJP as the Samajwadi Party's Awadesh Prasad snatched it from the BJP's Lallu Singh by a margin of nearly 55,000.
As an SP leader, Prasad, a member of the Pasi community, won two out of three elections he contested between 2012 and 2022. However, in 2017, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) made inroads with Baba Gorakhnath, who defeated Prasad by a significant margin. The BJP’s victory in 2017 was largely attributed to the influence of the Modi wave, which swept through India during that period.
Milkipur has historically been a stronghold for parties like the Congress, CPI, and SP, with the BJP struggling to make a lasting impact. However, the party's fortunes changed after the rise of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement in the early 1990s, when the BJP secured a massive victory in the region.
In the current by-election, the Ram Janmabhoomi issue is once again playing a central role, as the BJP seeks to regain its lost ground in the face of strong opposition from the SP.
The by-election was necessitated by Awadhesh Prasad's resignation from the state assembly following his victory in the Lok Sabha elections. His son, Ajit Prasad, was fielded as the SP candidate, making the contest a direct battle between him and the BJP's Chandrabhanu Paswan, another Pasi candidate.
The BJP's selection of Paswan, a local businessman, over Gorakhnath reflects its strategy to build on the support of the Pasi community while appealing to the "forward" caste voters.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath personally led the campaign for Paswan in Milkipur. Adityanath has conducted multiple rallies and focused his speeches on attacking SP and invoking Hindutva sentiment, a strategy that worked in the Maharashtra election. CM Yogi also said that Akhilesh Yadav was against the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj.
VIDEO | Milkipur bypoll: Here's what UP CM Yogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) said addressing a public rally in Milkipur.
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) February 2, 2025
"Look at the tweets by Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav in the past two months. All of his statements have been against Maha Kumbh... Devotees from all… pic.twitter.com/NlGJg2zf0t
In fact, Yogi Adityanath called on voters in Milkipur to "avenge the Ayodhya defeat".
On the other hand, the SP tried hard to secure its traditional voter base, including OBCs, Dalits, Muslims, and Yadavs — and highlighted the party's 'PDA' formula. Despite concerns over internal divisions, especially regarding the selection of Ajit Prasad, the party has managed to maintain a solid presence in Milkipur.
SP chief and former UP CM Akhilesh Yadav, along with his wife and Mainpuri MP Dimple Yadav, led the campaign, focusing on promises to develop Ayodhya into a world-class tourist destination. Opposed to CM Yogi's "avenge Ayodhya defeat" call, Akhilesh said the Milkipur contest was directly between "the people and the government".
The Milkipur campaign came amid the rape and murder of a Dalit woman in Ayodhya, which only strengthened the SP's attack on the Yogi Adityanath administration. Awadesh Prasad was even seen breaking into tears over the incident at a press conference, the video of which went viral.
#WATCH | SP MP Awadhesh Prasad breaks down as he addresses a press conference on the incident wherein the body of a girl, who was missing for 3 days, was found in a field in Ayodhya.
— ANI (@ANI) February 2, 2025
He says, "Let me go to Lok Sabha, I will speak with PM Modi. If justice is not served, I will… pic.twitter.com/8SvPUYaArR
Despite the high-voltage campaigns, Milkipur saw a lukewarm response with only 65.44% of voters turning out to cast their ballots. Akhilesh Yadav said that voting was deliberately slowed down by the UP Police and voters in favour of SP were harassed. Akhilesh, too, made it a prestige battle for the SP, saying: "It is not just an election but also a 'Chunauti' [challenge]."
#WATCH | Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav addresses a public rally in Milkipur Assembly constituency
— ANI (@ANI) February 3, 2025
He says, "Milkipur election will be historic. It is not just an election but also a 'Chunauti' (challenge). The Milkipur election will also send a message about what will… pic.twitter.com/B6651dGAct
Akhilesh Yadav even said that the "Election Commission was dead" and he would send a white shroud to cover its remains.
#WATCH | On allegations surrounding Milkipur Assembly by-elections in Uttar Pradesh, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav says, "This is the manner in which BJP contests elections. Election Commission is dead. We will have to gift them white cloth." pic.twitter.com/3nngG29eHd
— ANI (@ANI) February 6, 2025
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