Battle for Nine: Candidates Narrowed, Alliances Shift, and Power at Stake in Uttar Pradesh By-Elections

INDC Network : Uttar Pradesh : With the countdown underway for by-elections on nine pivotal assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh, the political scene is heating up. On Wednesday, the last day for candidate withdrawals, five contenders stepped aside, trimming the field to 90 candidates, following the initial 149 nominations filed for the bypolls. Key withdrawals include Jaiveer Singh and Brijanand (independents) from the Kundarki seat, Shah Mohammad Rana (independent) from Meerapur, Mohammad Aftab Sharif (Nationalist Democratic Party) from Sisamau, and Krishnavati (Rashtriya Bhagidari Party) from Katehari. These withdrawals sharpen the competition as candidates from major parties now emerge as front-runners.

The Election Commission announced the bypolls on October 15, excluding the Milkipur seat in Ayodhya due to pending court proceedings. Seats in this by-election round include Katehari, Karhal, Meerapur, Ghaziabad, Majhawan, Sisamau, Khair, Phulpur, and Kundarki. Of these, eight seats were vacated after MLAs were elected to the Lok Sabha, while the Sisamau seat became vacant due to the disqualification of Samajwadi Party (SP) MLA Irfan Solanki, who faced criminal conviction.

Scrutiny of nominations was completed on October 28, and the final date for withdrawals passed on October 30. With the revised candidate list, constituencies like Meerapur feature the most with 34 initial nominations, followed by Kundarki and Ghaziabad, each with 19, while Khair saw only six. Final campaigning is in full swing, with BJP announcing candidates for eight of the nine seats and reserving one for its ally, the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD).

A day prior to Congress’ announcement not to field its own candidates, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav confirmed that candidates from the 'INDIA' alliance would campaign under SP’s symbol, ‘cycle.’ The Congress has since committed to bolstering SP’s chances, highlighting the ‘INDIA’ alliance's commitment to presenting a unified front against the BJP in these by-elections.

The stakes are high, as the 2022 Assembly elections saw Sisamau, Katehari, Karhal, Milkipur, and Kundarki represented by SP, while BJP held Phulpur, Ghaziabad, Majhawan, and Khair. Meerapur was with the RLD, setting the stage for familiar political rivalries.

Voting is scheduled for November 13, with results to be declared on November 23. These by-elections could not only shift the balance of power but also underscore the significance of alliances in the evolving landscape of Uttar Pradesh politics.