News Brief
Milkipur By-Election Result: BJP's Chandrabhanu Paswan Leads SP's Ajit Prasad By Over 11,500 Votes In Early Trends
Milkipur is headed for tripartite struggle
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate is leading in Milkipur state assembly seat by-election in Uttar Pradesh.
BJP's Chandrabhanu Paswan is leading Samajwadi party candidate Ajit Prasad by a margin of over 11,600 votes.
According to official Election Commission data, the BJP candidate has secured 21,600 votes in the first three rounds of counting while the SP candidate has got 9,965 votes.
Milkipur, located about an hour's drive from Ayodhya, is one of the five constituencies within the Faizabad Lok Sabha constituency.
Historically, it has been a battleground for various political parties including the Congress, Communist Party of India (CPI), and Samajwadi Party (SP).
The region was first established as a constituency in 1967 and has since been known for its shifting political dynamics.
Awadhesh Prasad, also known by his full name Awadhesh Pasi, has played a pivotal role in the SP's presence in Milkipur.
His tenure was only interrupted in 2017 when he lost to Baba Gorakhnath from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) by a significant margin amid a strong BJP wave owing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's popularity.
The BJP has historically required a robust cause—like the Modi wave or the Ram Janmabhoomi movement—to clinch victories in Milkipur, a constituency with complex demographics and a history of support for various parties.
Ayodhya, the birthplace of Lord Ram, falls in the Faizabad Lok Sabha seat.
BJP’s Faizabad defeat at the hands of SP candidate Awadhesh Prasad—who represented Milkipur before his Lok Sabha victory—was shocking for the nation and embarrassing for the party.
Opposition leaders, especially SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, highlighted the symbolism of Prasad's victory multiple times.
SP’s decision to field Ajit Prasad, Awadhesh’s son, means that BJP is once again in a direct contest with Faizabad’s Parliamentarian.
