BJP eyes SP citadels, BSP focuses on Azamgarh
LUCKNOW : A nice little political contest is on the cards in the June 23 Lok Sabha bypoll to Uttar Pradesh’s Azamgarh and Rampur seats as these two minority-dominated constituencies, are on ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) “priority list.”
Political experts believe that ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP will use these mini polls to test its ability to make inroads in these Samajwadi Party (SP) citadels where the chief opposition party managed to thwart BJP juggernaut both in 2019 Lok Sabha polls as well as in 2022 U.P. polls. BJP chief Swatantra Dev, an OBC, campaigned for party candidate in Azamgarh on Monday.
“The line-up of candidates put up by the parties makes for an interesting observation. Like in 2022 U.P. polls when it eventually boiled down to a BJP vs SP contest, these bypolls too are essentially looking to be a contest between these two, though the BSP’s decision to make a pitch in Azamgarh but sit out in Rampur is equally noticeable,” said AP Tiwari, a political analyst.
The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) was the first to field its former lawmaker Shah Alam aka Guddu Jamali for the bypoll.
Alam had joined the SP before the recent assembly polls. As he failed to get the SP ticket, he unsuccessfully contested on an AIMIM ticket and then joined the BSP again.
“By fielding him on the BSP ticket now, Behenji (Mayawati) is looking to divide the Muslim vote here, a prospect that suits the BJP that is again betting on Bhojpuri singer Dinesh Yadav ‘Nirahua’,” a Samajwadi Party leader said. “Irrespective of who the opposition is, our win is certain,” a SP lawmaker said after the party named Dharmendra Yadav, the cousin of party chief Akhilesh Yadav on the seat.
In 2014, Mulayam Singh Yadav had shifted to Azamgarh in a bid to stop BJP sweep in east U.P. At that time, Guddu Jamali had contested against Mulayam on a BSP ticket while the BJP had fielded Ramakant Yadav, a former SP lawmaker. Despite his win, Mulayam shifted and won from Mainpuri in 2019 LS polls, leaving Azamgarh for Akhilesh who bettered his father’s record by securing 60% votes against the Bhojpuri singer’s 35.1%.
With Akhilesh as the local MP, the SP had won all the 10 assembly seats in Azamgarh in the 2022 U.P. polls too–the reason why the seat is “high” on BJP’s agenda. “Yes, Azamgarh is among the seats where we want to improve our performance and this bypoll we fancy our chances,” a BJP leader said.
The Congress has decided against fielding a candidate either in Azamgarh or Rampur, making it a triangular contest in Azamgarh between the SP, the BJP and the BSP.
Rampur, a constituency where SP veteran Azam Khan won his eleventh election in 2022 state polls despite being in jail, is also on BJP’s “priority list”. The Congress and BSP pulling out of the contest in Rampur have made it a straight contest between the SP and the BJP here. The BJP is relying on former Azam loyalist Ghanshyam Lodhi, a two term MLC, on the seat.
Ahead of 2022 U.P. polls, he was expelled from the SP and had joined the BJP. Asim Raza, a local Samajwadi Party functionary close to Azam Khan has been named candidate in Rampur.