Sat Feb 08 03:00:21 UTC 2025: ## Milkipur Bypoll Vote Counting Underway Amid Tight Security
**Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, February 8, 2025** – The counting of votes for the Milkipur Assembly bypoll in Ayodhya district began this morning under heavy security. Over 65% of the 3.71 lakh eligible voters participated in the February 5th election, exceeding the 2022 turnout.
The count, taking place at a designated counting center with 14 tables, started with postal ballots, followed 30 minutes later by the electronic voting machine (EVM) count, as per election rules. For increased transparency, VVPAT slips from five randomly selected polling stations are being matched with the EVM count. Paramilitary forces are ensuring security throughout the process.
The by-election, a high-stakes contest between the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), saw ten candidates compete. However, the main battle is between SP’s Ajit Prasad and BJP’s Chandrabhanu Paswan. The seat became vacant after the sitting SP MLA, Awadhesh Prasad, won the Faizabad Lok Sabha elections. The BJP views this bypoll as a chance to regain a seat they lost in the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections – Milkipur being their only loss in Ayodhya district.
First Piper 