The BJP has celebrated a significant victory in the Milkipur by-election in Uttar Pradesh. BJP candidate Chandra Bhan Paswan emerged victorious with a margin of over 60,000 votes. Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party's Ajit Prasad lagged from the beginning and has conceded defeat, acknowledging the same. However, SP leader Akhilesh Yadav has alleged electoral malfeasance by Ayodhya's police-administration.
Who is Chandra Bhan Paswan, the man who led BJP's flag soaring high in Milkipur?
Notably, for the Milkipur by-election in Ayodhya, BJP opted for fresh talent, choosing Chandra Bhan Paswan over seasoned veterans. The Samajwadi Party had already fielded Ajit Prasad, son of MP Avadhesh Prasad, as their candidate. Like Avadhesh Prasad, Chandra Bhan Paswan belongs to the Pasi community and hails from Parasuli village in Rudauli.
A lawyer by profession, Chandra Bhan Paswan has twice served as a district panchayat member from Rudauli in Ayodhya. His wife currently holds a district panchayat membership. He is also a member of the BJP's district unit's working committee, and in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, he was the Scheduled Caste Contact Chief. Meanwhile, his father, Baba Ramlakhan Das, is the village head.
Born in 1986, Chandra Bhan Paswan's family is active in the sari business, operating in both Surat and Rudauli. For the past two years, Chandra Bhan has been intensely involved in the Milkipur assembly seat, making him a key contender in the by-election. In terms of educational qualifications, Chandra Bhan holds degrees in B.Com, M.Com, and LLB.
Source: aajtak
Experts suggest that there were nearly half a dozen hopefuls for the BJP ticket in Milkipur, but Chandra Bhan clinched it, leaving former MLAs Gorakhnath Baba and Ramu Priyadarshi among others behind. Additionally, Deputy Transport Commissioner Surendra Kumar was considered a strong aspirant for the ticket.
The seat saw intensive campaigning from Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath along with several ministers. On the other side, the Samajwadi Party left no stone unturned with leaders like Akhilesh Yadav and Dimple Yadav rallying support for Ajit Prasad. However, the victory ultimately landed with the BJP. This win is perceived as redemption for the BJP after their defeat in the Faizabad/Ayodhya seat during the Lok Sabha elections.
To put it in context, in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Avadhesh Prasad had defeated BJP's Lallu Singh, which the SP heavily publicized. But now, on the very seat of Milkipur in Ayodhya, the BJP has dealt a severe blow to Avadhesh Prasad's son, Ajit Prasad.
Milkipur boasts a voter base totaling 358,000. Here, Scheduled Castes, particularly the Pasi community along with the OBC Yadav community, have a strong influence. In the 2022 assembly elections, SP's Avadhesh Prasad secured victory from Milkipur. After winning the Ayodhya seat in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Prasad had to resign from the legislative assembly, leading to this by-election.
