Major setback to Samawadi Party as BJP wrests Azamgarh, Rampur LS seats

The BJP on Wednesday wrested the Samajwadi Party's bastions of Rampur and Azamgarh Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailing it as a ''historic'' victory.

Azamgarh and Rampur are high-profile constituencies vacated by SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and party stalwart Azam Khan after they were elected to the assembly and the BJP's win in the bypolls here holds an important symbolic value for the party.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath asserted that it indicated the outcome of the 2024 general elections in which the saffron party would win all 80 seats in the state.

Rankled by the defeat in his home turf, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav termed the results as a ''murder of democracy'' and alleged there were irregularities during the election.

In Azamgarh, BJP's Dinesh Lal Yadav 'Nirahua' defeated SP candidate Dharmendra Yadav, a three-time MP and cousin of Akhilesh Yadav, by a margin of 8,679 votes.

BJP's Ghanshyam Lodhi defeated Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate Mohd Asim Raja by a comfortable margin of 42,192 votes in the direct contest in Rampur, the seat vacated by Azam Khan.

''The by-poll wins in Azamgarh and Rampur are historic. It indicates wide-scale acceptance and support for the double engine Governments at the Centre and in UP. Grateful to the people for their support. I appreciate the efforts of our Party Karyakartas,'' Modi tweeted.

In Azamgarh Lok Sabha constituency, Yadavs constitute 21 percent of the electorate, Muslims 15 percent, Dalits 20 percent and non-Yadav OBC voters are about 18 percent. The SP had swept all the assembly segments in Azamgarh in the recently assembly polls.

In Rampur parliamentary constituency, nearly 49 per cent of the voters are Muslims. The SP had won three and the BJP two assembly segments.

An elated Adityanath said people have sent a message that they are not ready to accept ''dynastic'' and ''casteist'' parties, and those who incite communal tension.

''Today's victory has given this message very clearly in front of everyone that in 2024, the BJP is going to win 80 out of 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh,'' he said at the BJP headquarters here.

After winning more than two-thirds of the seats in the last assembly elections and securing a thumping majority in the legislative council elections, the BJP has now also won the by-elections to the two Lok Sabha seats, he said.

SP president Akhilesh Yadav accused the ruling party of deceit and misusing state machinery in the polls.

''The chronology of 'murder of democracy' in BJP rule: conspiracy to reject nominations, suppress candidates, misuse machinery to prevent voting, irregularities in counting, pressure on public representatives and toppling of elected governments. This is the bitter truth about 'Azadi ka Amrit Kaal','' he said in a series of tweets in Hindi.

''This victory of the BJP is the victory of dishonesty, deceit, disregard for democracy and constitution, coercion, hooliganism by the administration... Democracy is bleeding and the public mandate lost,'' the opposition party alleged.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) already has 62 out of the total 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh. The bypoll victory has increased the party's tally to 64, while the count of Akhilesh Yadav's party has come down to three from five.

The BJP's victory in the SP's stronghold also shows the saffron party's growing popularity after a comfortable victory in the February-March state polls.

For the main opposition party, the result reflects its losing grip over Muslims and Yadavs, its ''MY'' citadel.

Azam Khan, however alleged that misuse of official machinery in the polls led to his party' defeat.

''Let elections be conducted honestly. I say the International Court of Justice should come and conduct elections here. If my candidate gets defeated then, I will leave politics,'' he told reporters.

In Azamgarh, SP candidate Dharmendra Yadav got into an argument with security personnel during the counting of votes over alleged denial of entry in the strongroom.

He alleged that an attempt was made to change EVMs and that is why he was not allowed entry inside. He, however, was later allowed in.

The two constituencies voted on June 23, with Azamgarh recording a turnout of 49.43 per cent and Rampur 41.39 per cent.

While Chief Minister Adityanath actively campaigned in both Azamgarh and Rampur, Akhilesh Yadav stayed away.

Adityanath had asked the people not to miss the opportunity for making ''Azamgarh as Aryamgarh'', dropping a hint of changing the name of the district falling in Purvanchal.

Hindu organisations have been raising this demand consistently.

BJP leader Nirahua dedicated his victory in Azamgarh to the people of the constituency.

''It is the victory of people. Residents of Azamgarh have done wonderful work. I dedicate this victory to your trust and the hard work of party workers who are like God to me,'' he said on Twitter.

Meanwhile, Dharmendra Yadav alleged that the BJP and the BSP had colluded for his defeat in the bye-election.

''As far as the defeat is concerned, I will congratulate the alliance between the BJP and the BSP for my defeat, which has become evident in the presidential election. A number of conspiracies were hatched by the BSP, BJP, the UP government and the Centre,'' he told reporters.