The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced Chandrabhan Paswan as its candidate for the upcoming Milkipur Assembly by-election in Ayodhya. Although Gorakhprasad was vying for the ticket again, the BJP placed its trust in Chandrabhan Paswan. The Milkipur seat is set for a direct contest between the BJP and Samajwadi Party (SP). The SP selected Ajit Prasad, son of their Ayodhya MP Awadhesh Prasad, as their candidate. Congress has chosen to back the SP candidate, while the Bahujan Samaj Party has decided against contesting the by-election under Mayawati's leadership.
For both BJP and SP, the Milkipur by-election holds great significance. The BJP aims to avenge its previous defeat in Ayodhya during the Lok Sabha elections. Meanwhile, the SP endeavors to strengthen Akhilesh's PDA (Backward, Dalit, Minority) narrative across Uttar Pradesh through Milkipur. Much like Awadhesh Prasad, Chandrabhan Paswan also hails from the Scheduled Caste community. Chandrabhan has served as a district council member from Rudauli twice, with his wife currently holding the same position. Nominations for the Milkipur by-election will be accepted starting January 17, with the vote scheduled for February 5 and results announced on February 8. Chandrabhan Paswan's family is actively involved in the saree business, including operations in Rudauli. He has been engaged with the Milkipur Assembly seat for the past two years.
Fact Check: The viral video of an elderly woman seemingly disappointed with the BJP isn’t from Milkipur, Ayodhya.
The Milkipur Assembly constituency comprises 358,000 voters. The largest voting populations are from the Scheduled Castes, followed by the backward classes. Dominant communities include the Pasi within Scheduled Castes and the Yadavs within the Other Backward Classes. The political party that successfully manages the caste equation is likely to benefit. In the 2022 Assembly elections, SP's Awadhesh Prasad secured victory from Milkipur. Following his win of the Ayodhya seat in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, he resigned from the legislative assembly, leading to the by-election.
Caste Dynamics in Milkipur
In response to SP's PDA strategy, the BJP has also nominated a candidate from the Dalit community in Milkipur. Alongside the impactful roles of the OBC and Dalit vote banks, Muslims also play a significant part. SP stands to gain immediate benefits from this PDA equation. Milkipur hosts approximately 125,000 Dalit voters, with 55,000 belonging to the Pasi community. There are also 30,000 Muslim and 55,000 Yadav voters. Among the upper castes, the Brahmin voters number around 60,000, while the Kshatriya and Vaishya voters count 25,000 and 20,000, respectively. Other communities include 20,000 Kori and 18,000 Chaurasia voters, along with Pal and Maurya communities.
Can Victory in Milkipur Heal Ayodhya's Wounds? CM Yogi Addresses Concerns
In the 2022 Assembly elections, BJP fielded Gorakhnath. However, the SP's Awadhesh Prasad shocked the BJP by winning the Ayodhya Lok Sabha seat right after the inauguration of the Ram Temple. Consequently, the SP portrayed Awadhesh Prasad as the quintessential PDA figure. Even in the Lok Sabha, Akhilesh Yadav strategically positioned Awadhesh Prasad next to him. The BJP’s candidate, Chandrabhan Paswan, is a professional advocate.
