High-Stakes Milkipur By-Election Kicks Off in Ayodhya

The Milkipur by-election in Ayodhya district began under intense competition between the Samajwadi Party's Ajit Prasad and BJP's Chandrabhanu Paswan. The poll, for the Scheduled Castes-reserved seat, follows the Lok Sabha victory of SP's Awadhesh Prasad. Security is tight, with authorities ensuring a peaceful voting process.

The Milkipur by-election commenced in Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya district on Wednesday morning, drawing considerable attention as polls opened at 7 AM and are scheduled to close at 5 PM.

With 3,70,829 voters poised to decide the outcome, the contest prominently features Samajwadi Party's Ajit Prasad and BJP's Chandrabhanu Paswan. The by-election was instigated by Samajwadi Party MP Awadhesh Prasad's vacancy, following his Lok Sabha win. Awadhesh, previously the SP MLA from Milkipur, clinched the seat from BJP in the 2022 Assembly elections.

Security measures are robust, as Ayodhya Range IG Praveen Kumar confirmed the peaceful nature of the ongoing polling process, with law enforcement maintaining order. Authorities have warned against any illegal activities, underscoring the deployment of paramilitary forces at key stations for an orderly election.

This by-election represents a pivotal clash between BJP and the opposition SP, significantly following Awadhesh Prasad's recent triumph over BJP's Lallu Singh in the Faizabad Lok Sabha seat, shortly after the historic consecration of Ayodhya's Ram Temple.

In previously conducted by-elections, BJP claimed six assembly seats, with SP securing two and RLD taking Meerapur.

(With inputs from agencies.)