Sat Nov 23 14:37:22 UTC 2024: **BJP Wins 7 of 9 UP By-Elections, SP Retains Two**
Lucknow, India – The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has secured a significant victory in the Uttar Pradesh by-elections, winning seven out of the nine contested seats. The Samajwadi Party (SP) retained the seats of Karhal and Sisamau. This result sees the BJP wresting two seats from the SP.
The most dramatic upset occurred in Kundarki, Muzaffarnagar, a constituency with a 60% Muslim population. BJP candidate Ramveer Singh secured a landslide victory, defeating his SP opponent by a margin of 1.44 lakh votes – the largest victory margin in these elections. This marks a historic win for the BJP in Kundarki after a 31-year absence.
In contrast, the SP’s sitting MP Lalji Verma failed to secure a win for his wife, Shobhawati Verma, in Katehari, Ambedkarnagar. BJP’s Dharmaraj Nishad won by a margin of 34,000 votes.
While the SP retained Karhal – previously held by Akhilesh Yadav – their victory margin was significantly reduced compared to the 2022 assembly elections. Akhilesh’s nephew, Tej Pratap Yadav, won by 14,725 votes. Similarly, in Sisamau, SP candidate Nasim Solanki, wife of jailed MLA Irfan Solanki, secured a win over her BJP opponent, but with a considerably smaller margin than her husband achieved in 2022.
Following the BJP’s victory, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath addressed the party headquarters, emphasizing the importance of unity. SP chief Akhilesh Yadav responded on X (formerly Twitter), indicating that the “real struggle has begun.” The results showcase a shift in the political landscape of Uttar Pradesh, with significant implications for future elections.
First Piper 