Milkipur Bypoll 2025: BJP Fields Chandrabhan Paswan For The Closely Watched Assembly Seat In Ayodhya
Milkipur seat fell vacant following the resignation of Samajwadi Party leader Awadhesh Prasad, who was elected as MP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
BJP has announced Chandrabhan Paswan as its candidate for the Milkipur assembly by-election, scheduled for February 5 in Uttar Pradesh. The seat fell vacant following the resignation of Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Awadhesh Prasad, who was elected as a Member of Parliament (MP) in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls—an event that stirred discontent within BJP circles. SP has nominated Awadhesh Prasad's son, Ajit Prasad, to contest the by-election from the Milkipur assembly seat.
The date for the Milkipur by-election was announced alongside the schedule for the Delhi assembly elections 2025.
BJP fields Chandrabhan Paswan for the Assembly by-election in Uttar Pradesh's Milkipur. pic.twitter.com/xY2IMw6IOk
— ANI (@ANI) January 14, 2025
The Milkipur seat is a reserved constituency with a significant Pasi population among Dalits, estimated at around 80,000. Brahmins also number similarly, followed by Yadavs, whose population is expected to be around 50,000. Thakurs and Muslims have comparable strength, with approximately 20,000 voters each. The total voter base in the Milkipur constituency is around 3.7 lakh.
With the Milkipur constituency heading to polls, the contest has triggered a fresh wave of intense rivalry between the ruling BJP in the state and SP.
Last year, nine constituencies in Uttar Pradesh went to bypolls, grabbing national attention due to the ongoing war of words between Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav.
The fierce BJP-SP rivalry during those by-elections stemmed from SP’s significant resurgence in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, where it made substantial gains, including winning the Ayodhya seat—considered a symbolic and strategic loss for the BJP.
BJP’s general election defeat in UP was largely attributed to internal factionalism, while SP enjoyed a sharp rise in its political influence, securing one of its highest tallies of Lok Sabha seats.
However, under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the BJP bounced back in subsequent by-elections, winning seven out of nine seats, while SP managed to retain only two—Karhal and Sisamau, its traditional strongholds.
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