AYODHYA: BJP’s Chandrabhanu Paswan was leading by 11,635 votes over Samajwadi Party’s (SP) Ajit Prasad after the fourth round of counting for the Milkipur Assembly bypoll on Saturday, according to the Election Commission website.
While Paswan polled 21,600 votes, Ajit Prasad, the son of SP’s Faizabad MP Awadesh Prasad, got 9,965 votes.
The bypoll was necessitated after Awadhesh Prasad vacated the seat following his election to the Lok Sabha last year.
While the SP is looking to retain the seat, the BJP sees the election as an opportunity to avenge its loss in Faizabad in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
In the 2022 Uttar Pradesh polls, Milkipur was the only seat the BJP lost in Ayodhya district.
While the BSP is not contesting the bypoll, the Congress is backing its alliance partner SP.
Earlier in the day, Paswan offered prayers at a temple.
Speaking to media, the BJP candidate thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. He also expressed his gratitude to voters for supporting him.
“We took the welfare programmes and schemes run by the BJP government to the people of Milkipur and they extended support to us,” Paswan said.
If elected, “we will not leave any stone unturned for the development of Milkipur”, he said.
However, Awadhesh Prasad remained confident about his son’s victory.
Election officials worked under pressure from the state government but despite all this, the SP candidate will win, he claimed.
“The BJP has been involved in large-scale irregularities. The Election Commission and observers were informed about them in writing but no action was taken,” he said.