However, BJP sources said on Monday that the party would field only backward leaders from the Katehri, Majhawan, and Phulpur seats. The party will field a Dalit face in Milkipur since it is a reserved seat and the stakes are quite high. Notably, the sitting SP MLA from Milkipur – Awadhesh Prasad – emerged as a giant killer and defeated BJP candidate and two-term sitting MP Lallu Singh in Faizabad, which comprises of Ayodhya as well, in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The sources further said it has been decided in the meeting that keeping in mind the caste equation, new faces will be fielded in all the seats. The notification for the by-elections may be issued by October 20. According to the sources, the UP government and the organisation have assured the Central leadership that BJP will win most of the seats in the by-elections. As per the caste equation, the contest may not be as difficult for the BJP in Milkipur, Katehari, Majhawan, Meerapur, Ghaziabad, and Khair as in SP’s traditional seats Karhal (Mainpuri) and Muslim-dominated Kundarki (Moradabad) and Sisamau (Kanpur) seats. Of the 10 assembly seats up for grabs in bypoll, five – Katehari, Karhal, Kundarki, Milkipur and Sisamu – have been vacated by the Samajwadi Party’s sitting MLAs. BJP had three seats—Ghaziabad, Khair and Phulpur. Majhawan was with BJP ally NISHAD and Meerapur was with RLD. Recently, the Samajwadi Party had announced six candidates for Karhal, Phulpur in Prayagraj, Katehari in Ambedkar Nagar, Majhwan in Mirzapur, Milkipur in Ayodhya, and Sisamau seat of Kanpur.
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