Bypoll in Sikandara today

KANPUR: Over 3.21 lakh voters will seal the fate of 11 candidates contesting for the post of MLA in the Sikandara bypoll in Kanpur Dehat on Thursday.

The seat fell vacant following the death of BJP MLA Mathura Prasad Pal. BJP has fielded Mathura Prasad Pal’s son Ajit from the seat.

The SP has pitted an OBC Seema Sachan, wife of former party MP from Fatehpur Rakesh Sachan. Congress has fielded a Brahmin face, Prabhakar Pandey.

In 2017 assembly elections, BJP’s Mathura Pal had polled 87, 879 votes and defeated BSP’s Mahendra Katiyar who got 49,977 votes. The BSP has chosen not to field any candidate, leaving scope

THE SEAT FELL VACANT FOLLOWING THE DEATH OF BJP MLA MATHURA PRASAD PAL. BJP HAS FIELDED MATHURA PRASAD PAL’S SON AJIT FROM THE SEAT.

for other parties to woo the 45,000 dalit voters. The dalit vote bank could be a deciding factor in these polls.

In the last one week, the Congress and Samajwadi Party have tried their best to woo the dalit voters who supported the BJP in the assembly elections to a large extent.

The BJP is confident that it will not only retain the seat but will also win by a record margin. Not taking any chances, the party has left no stone unturned in campaigning for its candidate. Chief minister Yogi Adityanath, deputy chief ministers Keshav Maurya and Dinesh Sharma addressed meetings while union minister Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti galvanised the backward votes.

The Sikandara assembly seat is a part of the Etawah Lok Sabha seat. Realising the importance of this seat, SP has thrown its weight behind the party candidate.