UP bypolls 2024: Key BJP meet in Delhi today to finalise seat-sharing with RLD, Nishad Party

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will hold a key meeting in Delhi this evening to strategise for the upcoming bypolls in 10 Assembly seats of Uttar Pradesh. The meeting is expected to finalise candidate selection and seat-sharing arrangements with allies, RLD and Nishad Party. A panel of 27 potential candidates for nine of the seats has been prepared, with final approval likely soon.  

Seat distribution with allies is also on the agenda. Sources told India Today that while the BJP may leave the Mirapur seat for its ally Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), it is reluctant to part with the Khair seat, despite RLD’s demand.

Another BJP ally, the Nishad Party, is pushing for two seats — Kathari and Majhwan — based on prior arrangements. In the last election, the BJP had supported a Nishad Party candidate in Majhwan under the BJP’s symbol. Nishad Party chief Sanjay Nishad is pressing for both seats this time.  

The meeting will see participation from key BJP leaders, including Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak, and the party’s organisational general secretary Dharampal Singh.  

Meanwhile, the Samajwadi Party (SP) has already announced candidates for six of the 10 seats. Tej Pratap Yadav will contest from Karhal, Nasim Solanki from Sisamau, Ajit Prasad from Milkipur, Mustafa Siddiqi from Phulpur, Shobhawati Verma from Katehari, and Dr. Jyoti Bind from Majhwan. The SP has left the remaining four seats for its ally, the Congress.  

The bypolls are being held for 10 assembly seats - Katehari (Ambedkar Nagar), Karhal (Mainpuri), Milkipur (Ayodhya), Meerapur (Muzaffarnagar), Ghaziabad, Majhwan (Mirzapur), Sisamau (Kanpur), Khair (Aligarh), Phulpur (Prayagraj), and Kundarki (Moradabad).

Most of these seats fell vacant after their sitting MLAs were elected as MPs in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.  

The Karhal seat became vacant after SP chief Akhilesh Yadav was elected as an MP from Kannauj, while Lalji Verma of SP vacated Katehari after winning the Ambedkar Nagar Lok Sabha seat. Similarly, SP leader Awadhesh Prasad resigned from Milkipur after being elected to the Lok Sabha from Ayodhya. Zia-ur Rahman Barq’s resignation from Kundarki followed his election to the Sambhal seat in the Lok Sabha.  

The Sisamau seat is the only one facing a bypoll due to disqualification—SP MLA Irfan Solanki lost his membership following his conviction in a criminal case. In the 2022 Assembly elections, SP won five of the 10 seats: Katehari, Karhal, Milkipur, Kundarki, and Sisamau. BJP secured victories in Phulpur, Ghaziabad, Majhwan, and Khair, while RLD held the Meerapur seat.  

The EC is expected to announce the bypoll dates soon, with voting likely to take place in November. 

(With inputs from Kumar Abhishek)