UP: Congress out of the fray, bypolls an acid test for SP

While the SP is trying to enactment successful the Congress’ salient leaders, particularly Dalit faces, for campaigning, each eyes are acceptable connected however overmuch enactment it is capable to garner connected seats among predominantly Dalit and non-Yadav OBC population, peculiarly connected the Lok Sabha seats of Katehari, Phulpur and Majhawan, which are represented by it but were won by the BJP and its state successful the past.

“The Congress is offering support, wherever it is being asked for. Recently, the SP invited our MP Tanuj Punia for campaigning successful Ghaziabad and helium obliged. Then, connected Katehari seat, our vice-president Keshav ji (Keshav Chand) was requested to spot in. Similarly, our Allahabad MP Ujjwal Raman Singh has been called for campaigning successful Phulpur. But past it is they who are contesting and we are lone providing the enactment asked for,” said a Congress leader.

While the Congress leaders assertion the SP got Dalit votes successful the Lok Sabha elections due to the fact that of its confederation with their party, the state enactment leaders assertion that they person been capable to consolidate the Dalit and OBC votes due to the fact that of Akhilesh Yadav’s “PDA” (Pichhda, Dalit and Alpsankhyak) formula.

For instance, the Katehari seat, which has a sizeable Dalit and Nishad colonisation and was erstwhile a stronghold of the Bahujan Samaj Party, was won by the SP successful 2022 aft BSP person Lalji Verma joined the main Opposition party.

The spot fell vacant aft Verma was elected arsenic MP.

While the SP has fixed summons to Lalji’s woman Shobhawati Verma, the BJP has fielded Dharmraj Nishad, a Nishad assemblage face. The BSP, connected the different hand, has fielded erstwhile Congress territory president Amit Verma from the constituency.

This time, the SP campaigner volition look a adjacent combat connected the spot with the displacement of Dalit and OBC votes being a deciding factor. Similarly, successful Phulpur, the SP has fielded Mohd Mujtaba Siddiqui, a Muslim candidate, portion hoping to consolidate the voters from the number community, OBC and Dalits, the BJP has fielded Deepak Patel.

From the Majhwan seat, which was won by BJP’s confederation spouse NISHAD enactment successful 2022, the ruling enactment has fielded its ain campaigner (Suchismita Maurya) this time. The SP has fixed summons to Jyoti Bind, a Bind assemblage face, from the constituency. Binds are considered arsenic the “most backward class” successful the region.

Both the Congress and the SP leaders admit that adjacent arsenic it is simply a by-election, the results of the polls would determine the aboriginal contours of the confederation successful the authorities successful the run-up to the 2027 Assembly elections.