Ayodhya (UP), Feb 8 (UNI) In a sort of setback to Samajwadi Party (SP), ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won the Milkipur assembly reserved seat in Faizabad where its candidate won by a margin of more than 61,000 votes in the by-poll, whose result was announced on Saturday.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath congratulated the BJP on its victory in the Milkipur assembly by-election. He called it a symbol of the unwavering faith of the common man in the UP government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He also congratulated BJP candidate Chandrabhanu Paswan.
According to official figures, while BJP's Chandrabhanu Paswan secured around 1,45,893 votes his close rival Ajit Prasad of SP got 84,254 votes. Ajit Prasad is son of SP's Lok Sabha MP from Faizabad Awadhesh Prasad.
The election on this seat was necessitated after Awadhesh Prasad, who was sitting MLA from Milkipur, was elected to the Lok Sabha in general elections held last year. In 2017 this seat was won by the BJP, which subsequently lost it to its arch rival SP in 2022 assembly elections.
Yogi wrote on his social media account 'X', "Heartfelt congratulations to all the dedicated party officials and hardworking workers for the historic victory of the Bharatiya Janata Party in the by-election on the Milkipur assembly seat! This victory is a symbol of the unwavering faith of the common man in the UP government dedicated to the public welfare policies, service, security and good governance of the 'double engine BJP government' under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi."
While congratulating the victorious candidate Chandrabhanu Paswan, he said that hearty congratulations to the god-like people of Milkipur assembly constituency who gave their vote to the development journey and good governance of Uttar Pradesh! Jai Shri Ram!
On the other hand, SP president Akhilesh Yadav said that this is a false victory and BJP cannot face the growing power of PDA on the basis of votes, that is why it tries to win by misusing the electoral system.
He said, "The level of manipulation of officials required to do such electoral fraud may be possible in one assembly somehow, but this 'four hundred BC' will not work in 403 assemblies. BJP people also know this, that is why BJP people postponed the by-election of Milkipur. PDA means 90 percent of the people have seen this fraud with their own eyes."
Akhilesh said that this is a false victory, which BJP people will never be able to celebrate by looking into the mirror. "Their guilt and fear of defeat in future will keep them awake," he said.
He said, "The officials who have committed the crime of electoral fraud will get punished for their democratic crime, if not today then tomorrow. Everyone's truth will come out one by one. Neither nature nor the law will spare them. The BJP will use them and then let them go, they will not become their shield. When they lose their jobs and pensions, they will alone suffer the punishment of a life of humiliation among their children, family and society."
The SP chief said, "The true victory of the PDA in Ayodhya in the Lok Sabha elections is many times heavier than their false victory in the Milkipur assembly and will always be so."
It may be noted that after below par show in Lok Sabha elections, CM Yogi has taken command in the by-elections for 10 seats, including Milkipur. Since then BJP has won 8 out of 10 assembly seats.
The CM extensively toured Milkipur, holding public meetings and meeting the people.
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