Milkipur Exit Polls Say BJP May Avenge Faizabad Lok Sabha Loss, Akhilesh Yadav Alleges Rigging

The Milkipur Assembly bypoll witnessed a 65.35% voter turnout. The Samajwadi Party has alleged electoral fraud, while the police have denied these claims.

Milkipur Exit Poll 2025: The bypoll for the Milkipur Assembly constituency in Uttar Pradesh was held on Wednesday, with an estimated 65.35 per cent voter turnout, surpassing the 60.23 per cent recorded in the 2022 Assembly elections. The constituency witnessed a fierce contest between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Samajwadi Party (SP), with Azad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) also in the fray.  

According to an exit poll conducted by UP Tak, the BJP is likely to emerge victorious in Milkipur. Journalists analysing the poll trends cited several factors contributing to the BJP’s projected lead. Journalist Balram Tiwari noted that Milkipur is a Brahmin-dominated area, and this time, the community has shown unity. He further observed that sections of voters who backed the SP in 2022 appeared divided this time. Journalist Ved Prakash Tiwari linked the BJP's potential win to the high voter turnout, stating that the party contested the election on the issue of development. Another journalist, Vipin Yadav, said, "The inclination of all communities seems to be towards the BJP, which could help the party secure this seat."  

Zee’s ZEENIA AI Exit Poll has also given an edge to the saffron party. ZEENIA Exit poll predicted 52% votes in favour of BJP and 48% for the SP.

The bypoll was necessitated after Awadhesh Prasad vacated the seat following his victory from the Faizabad Lok Sabha constituency in the 2024 general elections. While the SP is attempting to retain its hold on Milkipur, the BJP sees this election as an opportunity to avenge its shock loss in Faizabad which includes the holy city of Ayodhya.  

Milkipur Exit Poll 2025: Akhilesh Yadav Alleges Electoral Malpractice, Police Dismiss Claims 

SP chief Akhilesh Yadav levelled allegations of fake voting and electoral rigging against officials, urging both the Election Commission and the Supreme Court to take cognisance. Posting an audio clip on X, Yadav said, “This is a sting operation exposing the truth about presiding officers fulfilling a target of fake voting for the ruling party.” He also claimed that the police were intimidating voters by checking their identity cards.  

In another post, Yadav alleged that Ayodhya Police, including senior officers, were verifying voter IDs in Milkipur to create fear among the electorate. “This is a murder of democracy by indirectly influencing voting. Such individuals should be removed immediately and strict action should be taken,” he said, attaching an image to support his claim.  

However, Ayodhya Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Raj Karan Nayyar refuted these allegations, clarifying that the viral photo in question showed officers verifying the credentials of a polling agent, not voters. “Law enforcement officers are not checking voter ID cards,” Nayyar emphasised. Inspector General (IG) Pravin Kumar also assured that polling was conducted peacefully, with adequate deployment of magistrates, police officers, and paramilitary forces at key polling stations. "Strict action will be taken against those spreading rumours or engaging in illegal activities," Kumar warned, as quoted by news agency PTI.  

SP’s Awadhesh Prasad also accused the BJP of attempting to manipulate the election by pressuring officials. Meanwhile, the party appealed to its workers via social media, urging them to monitor the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) until they reached the strong room. “All SP leaders and workers must ensure that after polling ends, they follow the vehicle carrying the EVMs to the strong room and obtain Form 17C (Part-1) from the presiding officer,” the party's post stated.  

Milkipur Exit Poll 2025: Key Contestants  

The main contest is between SP’s Ajit Prasad and BJP’s Chandrabhanu Paswan. The Congress, as part of its alliance with the SP, has extended its support to the latter, while the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has not fielded a candidate. The Azad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) has nominated Santosh Kumar Chaudhary.  

The constituency has over 3.70 lakh registered voters, including 1.93 lakh men, over 1.78 lakh women, and eight third-gender individuals. There were 4,811 first-time voters in this bypoll. Voting was conducted across 414 polling stations and 255 polling centres.  

The results of the Milkipur bypoll are expected to be crucial for both the BJP and the SP, given the significance of the Ayodhya district.