Sat Feb 08 06:10:00 UTC 2025: ## BJP Takes Early Lead in Prestigious Uttar Pradesh By-election
**Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh –** The Milkipur assembly constituency by-election in Uttar Pradesh is proving to be a high-stakes battle, with the BJP taking a significant early lead. With counting underway, BJP candidate Chandra Bhanu Paswan is currently ahead of Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate Ajit Prasad by over 28,000 votes after ten rounds of counting. Paswan has secured 53,299 votes compared to Prasad’s 24,620. The election, which features ten candidates, is considered a three-cornered contest with the Azad Samaj Party (Kashiram) securing a negligible vote share.
The by-election, scheduled for 30 rounds of counting, holds immense significance for both parties. The seat was vacated after the previous MLA, Awadhesh Prasad, won the Faizabad Lok Sabha seat in 2024, defeating BJP’s Lallu Singh in an upset victory widely discussed nationally. The BJP views this by-election as crucial to reclaim prestige lost after that defeat, which the opposition hailed as a victory for the constitution. High-profile BJP leaders, including the Chief Minister, have actively campaigned in Milkipur.
The SP, meanwhile, sees the election as a matter of pride, having nominated Awadhesh Prasad’s son, Ajit Prasad. Milkipur, traditionally an SP stronghold, has been a safe seat since 2009. The BSP did not field a candidate in this election, and Congress extended its support to the SP.
The constituency boasts a total electorate of 370,829 voters, including 4811 first-time voters. The final results are awaited with keen interest.
First Piper 