On Wednesday, Milkipur in Uttar Pradesh will see a strong battle of prestige between the Samajwadi Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party. For the BJP, this is a battle made more significant because of its loss in Faizabad Lok Sabha seat, where just a year ago the new Ram Mandir was thrown open.
One crucial factor in this election is the absence of the Bahujan Samaj Party, as the Dalit votes make up a sizeable chunk of about 1.25 lakh voters. Which way these votes go will be crucial to determine which party will win.
Another factor is that both the Samajwadi Party and the BJP have Scheduled Caste candidates facing off. This will make the contest sharper. For the SP, the 50,000 to 55,000 Yadav voters will be crucial, as will the approximately 22,000 Muslim voters; other OBC voters make up 30,000 voters.
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The campaigning has been sharp. Awadesh Prasad, the father of the SP candidate, went as far as crying during a media interaction demanding justice for a gang-rape victim, saying that he would raise the matter in the Parliament. This has been criticised by the BJP which has pointed out that the name of a SP leader had emerged as the main accused in the case. (However, the police have arrested three people in the case and have emphasised that they have no political connections).
Both Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav have campaigned in Milkipur. The former has slammed Yadav’s criticism of the Mahakumbh while berating his party for being a haven for criminals and anti-social elements. He has also accused the SP of being opposed to the development of Ayodhya. The BJP’s state chief took a dig at Yadav for not finding the time to visit Ayodhya yet. Yadav in turn has mocked Yogi for being a saint only in his choice of clothes, not deeds.
Traditionally, the BJP is faced with a tough task in Milkipur. Between 1977 and 2022, the party has won the seat only twice. However, with the BSP out of the fray and the choice of a candidate who is locally well-liked, the BJP is hoping to net the seat.
