In Lok Sabha elections, they rejected the father; now, to win Khair, they’ve embraced the son
When no candidate was found in Karhal, they made Akhilesh Yadav’s brother-in-law the candidate
– Akhilesh Tripathi, Lucknow
In UP Assembly by-elections, BJP couldn’t find suitable candidates despite their frantic search. For the Khair Assembly by-election, they embraced the son of someone they had previously rejected in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and made him their candidate. In Karhal, when no candidate was found, they fielded Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav’s brother-in-law in the electoral race.
Currently, 10 Assembly seats are vacant in UP, with by-elections taking place on 9 of them. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, four BJP, four SP, and one RLD MLAs won parliamentary seats. The 10th seat was vacated in Kanpur Nagar’s Sisamau constituency after MLA Irfan Solanki was convicted. Out of these 10 seats, by-elections are happening on 9, while in Milkipur in Faizabad district, no election is being held. SP MLA Awadhesh Prasad was elected as a Lok Sabha member from Faizabad, where the BJP suffered a severe defeat, and the local public sentiment is reportedly against BJP. Thus, BJP allegedly coordinated with Election Commission to delay the election here. The Election Commission stated the reason for not conducting the Milkipur by-election was a pending court matter. However, this reason is said to lack truth since Awadhesh Prasad resigned from the Assembly seat after being elected MP, and his resignation was accepted, leading the Commission itself to declare the seat vacant.
The EC is accused of postponing the Milkipur by-election to save BJP from a likely defeat. Currently, by-elections are being held in seats including Khair in Aligarh, Karhal in Mainpuri, Sadar in Ghaziabad, Phulpur in Allahabad, Majhawan in Mirzapur, Katehri in Ambedkar Nagar, Sisamau in Kanpur Nagar, Mirapur in Muzaffarnagar, and Kundarki in Sambhal. BJP, SP, and BSP are contesting in all these seats, with by-elections scheduled for November 20. These elections are being referred to as a mini Assembly election in UP.
In these UP Assembly by-elections, the BJP struggled to find suitable candidates, despite being known as a cadre-based party with no shortage of leaders and workers. However, it couldn’t secure a winning candidate easily, especially for the Khair seat in Aligarh. After extensive efforts, BJP finally chose Surendra Singh Diler, son of the late former MP Rajveer Singh Diler, as its candidate. Rajveer Singh Diler was a BJP MP from Hathras, but in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, BJP did not nominate him. This rejection reportedly dealt him a severe blow, and he suffered a heart attack, passing away during the election period.
As the Assembly by-elections approached, BJP faced the prospect of a likely loss in Khair. Despite searching, it couldn’t find a winnable candidate, so it convinced Rajveer Singh Diler’s son, Surendra Singh Diler, to contest from Khair. By nominating Surendra, BJP hopes to gain sympathy votes, betting that the public’s empathy will drive support and help them secure a victory.
However, the path isn’t easy. The SP has fielded Dr. Charu Kain, a female candidate, to contest against him. Previously a Congress member, Dr. Kain joined SP after Congress stepped aside in support of SP for these UP elections. With Congress’ support, she poses a strong challenge to Surendra Singh Diler. Dr. Kain is also well-regarded locally, creating a tough battle for the BJP.
Meanwhile, BSP has nominated Dr. Pahal Singh in Khair, though he isn’t being taken seriously by many, who speculate that BSP fielded him mainly to split votes and indirectly aid BJP.
The second most interesting contest in Assembly by-elections is taking place in the Karhal seat in Mainpuri district. When BJP couldn’t find a candidate here, they nominated Anujesh Yadav. Anujesh is the brother-in-law of SP MP Dharmendra Yadav and the cousin-in-law of Akhilesh Yadav. Akhilesh has fielded Tej Pratap Yadav, his nephew and son-in-law of RJD chief Lalu Yadav, as the SP candidate from Karhal.
In response to Anujesh Yadav’s BJP nomination, Dharmendra Yadav publicly severed ties with him, stating he no longer considers Anujesh a relative and requested media not to mention him as such. By nominating Anujesh, BJP attempted to create a rift within the Yadav family, but Akhilesh Yadav, Dharmendra Yadav, Shivpal Yadav, and Prof. Ram Gopal Yadav have shown unity, thwarting the BJP’s strategy.
Despite BJP’s effort to create a divide, the Yadav community remains aligned with SP in Karhal. Initially, BJP considered fielding Akhilesh Yadav’s cousin-in-law Aparna Yadav, but she declined. Consequently, BJP settled on Anujesh as their candidate. Akhilesh previously held the Karhal seat but resigned after being elected MP from Kannauj, prompting this by-election.
The BJP’s decision to field a relative of the Yadav family in an attempt to divide them has backfired due to the family’s unity. This move has also sparked discontent within BJP’s own ranks. Now, all eyes are on Karhal as the election approaches.
