Kumar Bahukhandi
As his son contesting from Milkipur, there is extra pressure on Awadhesh Prasad, he is getting crushed between big leaders like Yogi Adityanath and Akhilesh Yadav- File Photo
Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav has given the responsibility of Milkipur to Ayodhya MP Awadhesh Prasad, because the candidate is his son. And, therefore, this election has become a matter of prestige for him as well – Milkipur has become ‘Badlapur’ for Yogi Adityanath
The fight in Milkipur is directly between the Samajwadi Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party, meaning – no matter which name is in the election field, the contest is between Akhilesh Yadav and Yogi Adityanath.
Congress is, in name only, with the Samajwadi Party, and the Bahujan Samaj Party has dropped out of the fray. Initially, the BSP had announced the name of its candidate, but after the by-elections on 9 seats in UP, Mayawati stepped back.
Milkipur is a reserved assembly seat for SC, voting is going to be held on February 5 on this seat which was vacated after Samajwadi Party MLA Awadhesh Prasad became a Lok Sabha MP from Faizabad seat. Elections in Milkipur were also to be held along with the by-elections on 9 assembly seats, but the Election Commission had also put it on hold due to the petition of Baba Gorakhnath, who was the BJP candidate in 2022, pending in the court. The way for the election was cleared only after Baba Gorakhnath withdrew his petition – and now the results are also expected to come by February 8.
In such a situation, when the son is contesting the election, and the Samajwadi MP has been projected as the MP of Ayodhya at the national level by Akhilesh Yadav as well as Rahul Gandhi, Awadhesh Prasad’s reputation is also linked to the Milkipur by-election – due to which his credibility is also at stake.
How is Awadhesh Prasad’s election campaign going on?
While encouraging the workers, Samajwadi MP from Faizabad Awadhesh Prasad says, the Chief Minister may come once, 10 times… or even come every day, but it will not have any impact on the people of Milkipur.
All this is good to increase the enthusiasm of the workers, but in the recent by-elections, the Samajwadi Party had also lost Bagli Katehari of Milkipur and Kundarki assembly seat of Sambhal. It was the Karhal seat of Mainpuri which saved the honor. Dimple Yadav is the MP from Mainpuri, and the Karhal assembly seat was vacant due to Akhilesh Yadav reaching the Lok Sabha from Kannauj. The biggest setback for the Samajwadi Party was the big victory of BJP on Kundarki seat. The way BJP won Kundarki seat from Samajwadi Party amidst Muslim majority population is a sign of danger for Milkipur as well.
Awadhesh Prasad is saying, the path to the 2027 elections will pass through Milkipur only… A message will go from here that BJP will be wiped out in the 2027 elections… and the Samajwadi Party government will be formed in Uttar Pradesh under the leadership of Akhilesh Yadav.
Even on the question of visiting Ayodhya and Ram temple, Awadhesh Prasad seems to be two steps ahead of his leader. He says, my entire family is filled with Ram, the names of my ancestors start with Ram…my grandfather’s name, my father’s name, my maternal uncle’s name and my father-in-law’s name also have Ram before and after them but no BJP leader’s name has Ram before or after it.
Avadhesh Prasad says, except for exceptions, one or two leaders may have Ram before or after their names… Here, everything is filled with Ram… We are fortunate that from my grandfather to my father and father-in-law, everyone has Ram before or after their names… Ram is in every pore of our body.
Akhilesh Yadav’s stand on Ayodhya and Ram Mandir is also visible in the recent case of Maha Kumbh of Prayagraj, but Avadhesh Prasad presents himself a little differently, our ideology is connected to Maryada Purushottam Ram… I will work to establish the dignity of Ram, which has been destroyed by BJP, not only in Ayodhya, but in the entire country.
After listening to Awadhesh Prasad’s speech, Samajwadi Party’s concern about Milkipur is clearly visible. It also seems that Akhilesh Yadav has put extra pressure on Awadhesh Prasad regarding Milkipur.
Who will be the decisive voter in Milkipur?
There are more than 3.50 lakh voters in Milkipur, and among them the largest population is of Dalits, which is more than 1.25 lakh. Still, there is news that BSP has decided not to contest the elections, because there was no benefit in participating in the recently concluded by-elections. And, now Mayawati’s eyes are set on the Delhi Assembly elections.
Mayawati had long ago announced the name of Ram Gopal Kori for Milkipur, who was in third place in the 2017 assembly elections, but now the BSP leadership has changed its mind.
Samajwadi Party is moving ahead according to the PDA formula along with making Awadhesh Prasad’s son a candidate. Apart from Dalit votes, according to the report, there are 55 thousand Yadavs and more than 30 thousand Muslim votes in Milkipur. Apart from PDA, there are about 60 thousand Brahmins, 30 thousand Kshatriyas, 50 thousand Kori, Chaurasia, Pal and Maurya voters.
Baba Gorakhnath, who was an MLA in 2017, got 90.5 thousand votes in the 2022 assembly elections, but he lost to Awadhesh Prasad due to 13 thousand votes less. Then Awadhesh Prasad got 1.03 lakh votes.
According to the equation of votes, SP candidate Ajit Prasad definitely seems to be heavy, but Dalit votes will be divided among the candidates coming from the same community – such non-Dalit votes will play a decisive role.
