BJP AND SP LOCK HORNS IN UP'S MILKIPUR BYPOLL

Milkipur Assembly by-election is a fierce BJP-SP contest, with BJP aiming to maintain its prestige in what is essentially Ayodhya district.

- TIKAM SHARMA

Milkipur is gearing up for a heated electoral battle between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Samajwadi Party (SP), as both parties have launched extensive campaigns for the Assembly by-election in Ayodhya district, Uttar Pradesh.

The by-election, scheduled for Wednesday, February 5, coincides with the Delhi Assembly elections, with results for both elections set to be announced on Saturday, February 8. A senior SP leader expressed confidence in their party's chances of securing the Milkipur seat, citing their victory in the Faizabad Lok Sabha constituency. Meanwhile, a BJP leader asserted that they would dislodge the SP from Milkipur, as they recently did in other by-elections, where the BJP secured seven out of nine Assembly seats.

Having lost the Faizabad parliamentary constituency to the SP, the BJP is determined to retain the Milkipur Assembly seat. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has taken a personal interest in the contest, visiting the constituency twice and directly overseeing campaign efforts. This election holds significant importance for Yogi Adityanath, serving as a test of his political clout and public support-not just for the opposition, but also for skeptics within his own party who question his popularity. Additionally, the BJP views a victory in Milkipur as essential to maintaining its prestige in Ayodhya.