The by-elections for 10 assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh are on the horizon. Although the Election Commission has yet to announce dates, the political temperature in the state is rising. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Samajwadi Party are the primary contenders. Their leaders are actively engaging in meetings. Amidst this, a high-level BJP meeting is scheduled for Sunday, October 13, in Delhi, aiming to address issues from ticket distribution to various strategic discussions.
Sources indicate that the BJP is eager to compensate for their Lok Sabha election shortcomings by capturing 10 crucial by-election seats in Uttar Pradesh. The party is pulling out all stops for this endeavor, calling for a major meeting in Delhi on Sunday. Reportedly, party president JP Nadda and Amit Shah will be present, alongside UP BJP president Bhupendra Chaudhary, CM Yogi Adityanath, and both Deputy CMs Brajesh Pathak and Keshav Prasad Maurya.
By-elections are set for seats in Karhal, Milkipur, Katehri, Kundarki, Ghaziabad, Khair, Mirapur, Phulpur, Manjhana, and Sisamau. Five seats are currently held by the Samajwadi Party, while RLD and Nishad Party each have one, and BJP holds three. Considering the unexpected challenge posed by the Samajwadi Party in the Lok Sabha elections, these by-elections are seen as a critical test for Yogi Adityanath.
With by-elections upcoming for 10 assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh, the political implications for the state and nation are significant. Uttar Pradesh played a pivotal role in consolidating BJP's majority governments in 2014 and 2019. However, the party's 2024 outlook indicates vulnerabilities. These by-elections offer BJP an opportunity to shatter existing perceptions and reignite enthusiasm among their ranks—even as seat dynamics present considerable challenges.
On each of the 10 seats facing by-elections in Uttar Pradesh, the BJP faces numerous obstacles. After Akhilesh Yadav's Karhal, BJP's next tough battleground is Kundarki in Moradabad, where in the 2022 assembly elections, Samajwadi Party's Ziaur Rahman was elected and subsequently became a Member of Parliament from the Sambhal constituency. Kundarki, where BJP has only tasted victory once in 1993, has approximately 65% Muslim and 35% Hindu voters. Meanwhile, Kanpur's Sisamau seat became vacant following the conviction of Samajwadi Party's MLA Irfan Solanki. As one of SP's strongholds, they might nominate someone from Irfan Solanki's family this time, also drawing sympathy for Irfan, making it another challenging seat for BJP.
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