More than 65 per cent of the total 3.70 lakh voters exercised their franchise in the bypoll to the Milkipur Assembly constituency on February 5, surpassing the turnout recorded in the 2022 assembly polls.
Milkipur Assembly bypolls: Key candidates and contest
The Milkipur bypoll has emerged as a high-stakes contest between the Samajwadi Party and the BJP in Ayodhya district. While 10 candidates are in the fray, the primary battle is between SP's Ajit Prasad and BJP's Chandrabhanu Paswan. The BSP has opted out of the race, while Congress is backing its ally, the Samajwadi Party. The Aazad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) has also fielded a candidate.
For the SP, the election is crucial to retain its hold on the seat, while the BJP aims to overturn its 2022 loss in Milkipur—the only assembly seat it failed to win in Ayodhya district.
What was bypoll necessitated?
The Milkipur bypoll was triggered after SP leader Awadhesh Prasad vacated the seat following his victory in the 2024 Faizabad Lok Sabha elections.
The contest carries added significance due to Prasad’s unexpected win in Faizabad, which came just months after the Ram temple’s inauguration. While the SP aims to retain its stronghold, the BJP views this election as a chance to avenge its Faizabad defeat. Notably, in the 2022 UP Assembly polls, Milkipur was the only seat the BJP lost in Ayodhya district.
Milkipur Assembly Election: Past Winners
In 2002, SP's Awadhesh Prasad won the seat, defeating BJP's Baba Gorakhnath. While Prasad had secured 49.99 percent votes (1,03,905), Gorakhnath got 41.83 percent (90,567) votes.
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