Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati
By-elections are scheduled for 10 assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh, due to which the political heat has increased. Not only BJP and SP but also BSP has planned to prepare to fight the by-election with full strength. The by-elections to be held on ten seats are being considered as the semi-finals of the 2027 Assembly. In such a situation, even though there is talk of direct confrontation between SP and BJP, but there are many seats where BSP is showing its influence and SP is helpless so far. In such a situation, can there be a three-way fight in many seats in the by-elections?
The 10 assembly seats in the state where by-elections are scheduled include Milkipur, Katehari, Sisamau, Kundarki, Ghaziabad, Phulpur, Mazwa, Sisamau, Kher and Mirapur constituencies. The SP could not even open an account in Muzaffarnagar’s Mirapur, Mirzapur’s Mazwan and Aligarh’s Kher assembly seats. The SP has been ineffective till 2022 on the Katehri seat. BSP is in control of these seats. Amid the changed political equation after the Lok Sabha elections, the contest on the by-election seats could be very interesting.
Well, the seat is occupied by the SP.
Due to the political influence of Jat votes, RLD’s influence is showing in Aligarh’s Kher assembly seat, BSP is also showing its influence. Apart from winning once, BSP has been in direct contest in several elections. The SP has not been able to open its account in this seat, while the BSP has finished second in the last three elections. In 2012, the SP managed to form the government with an absolute majority, but could not save its deposit on the Kher seat in the same election. In the 2017 assembly elections, SP got only 4 percent votes and in 2019 this seat went to RLD.
RLD won this seat in 2012. After this BJP has been able to win many seats in 2017 and 2022 assembly elections. Although BSP did not win the 2012, 2017 and 2022 assembly elections, it came second. Thus far, the political ground for the SP has proved to be very rocky. The situation has changed after the Lok Sabha elections, but still it is not considered favorable for the SP. The BSP is also in the by-polls and is trying to create a three-way contest by capturing the rest of the OBC and Muslim votes apart from the Dalit votes.
Sapna account not opened in Mazwan
Nishad Party was able to win the Mazwan assembly seat of Mirzapur district in alliance with BJP in 2022 elections. Vinod Kumar Bind, who is an MLA from here, has become a BJP MP from Bhadohi Lok Sabha seat in 2024. This seat has been very difficult for the SP and it has never won. The SP may have been futile, but the BSP has its own political base. BSP has managed to win the elections on this seat five times. BSP won here for the first time in 1991. After that he was elected MLA of BSP in 1993, 2002, 2007, 2012.
In 2007, 2012 and 2022 assembly elections, the SP has certainly come second in this assembly seat, but has not managed to win. In such a situation, Ramesh Bind, who has been a three-time MLA on a BSP ticket, is now with the SP after joining the BJP. It is believed that the SP wants to show its influence by fielding Ramesh Bind in the Assembly by-election, but the BSP also plans to enter the polls with full strength. SP has also prepared to bet on the face of Brahmin society. Thus the contest for the Majwan seat is likely to be very interesting.
SP will show strength in Mirapur seat
RLD’s Chandan Chauhan, MLA from Mirapur assembly seat of Muzaffarnagar district, has become MP from Bijnor in 2024. Because of this, after the delimitation in 2009, there is a possibility of a by-election on the Mirapur seat and since then the assembly elections have been held three times. BSP, BJP and RLD have managed to win elections once each. Despite being a Muslim-dominated assembly seat, the SP could not open its account in the Mirapur assembly seat. BSP has its own political influence on this seat.
In the 2017 assembly elections, Liaquat Ali of SP gave a tough fight against BJP candidate Avtar Bhadana and he lost by just 193 votes. SP gave it to RLD because of its alliance with Jayant Chaudhary in the 2022 assembly elections. RLD was successful in winning this seat. Now the SP is preparing to contest the seat, while the BSP has made the contest interesting by fielding a Muslim candidate. Apart from Muslim votes, SP has no base in Mirapur assembly seat. Due to this it could not show its effect.
Difficulties are not less on the Katehri seat
Lalji Verma, who was SP MLA from Katehari assembly seat of Ambedkar Nagar, has now become an MP. Due to which the by-election is to be held. From 1993 to 2007, BSP has been winning this seat continuously. In 2012, the SP managed to get its own MLA for the first time, but in 2017, the BSP again took over. Lalji Verma, who left BSP and joined SP, won the 2022 elections and has now become a Lok Sabha MP. The political equation here has made the BSP effective and the SP completely ineffective. In such a situation, the way the BSP has made a strategy to enter the by-elections with full strength has made the contest interesting.
