Election petition or something else... why was the by-election in Milkipur postponed?

UP By Election / Election petition or something else... why was the by-election in Milkipur postponed?

UP By Election - Election petition or something else... why was the by-election in Milkipur postponed?

UP By Election: With the announcement of assembly elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand, there is talk of by-elections. Meanwhile, Milkipur assembly seat of Uttar Pradesh remains the center of discussion. The Election Commission has decided not to hold by-elections on this seat, which has fallen vacant due to the resignation of former SP MP Awadhesh Prasad. This decision has come at a time when by-elections have been announced on nine other seats, raising many questions in this matter.

Political importance of Milkipur seat

Milkipur assembly seat is located in Ayodhya district and is considered a hot seat in political circles. The political history of this seat is quite interesting. For the Lok Sabha elections 2024, SP made Milkipur MLA Awadhesh Prasad its candidate from Faizabad seat. He defeated BJP candidate Lallu Singh and ensured SP's victory in Faizabad. This victory made Awadhesh the poster boy of SP and since then he has always been seen with Akhilesh Yadav. This victory was a big blow to the BJP, especially when the BJP started its political rise from the land of Ayodhya.

Reasons for no by-election

The Election Commission has decided not to hold a by-election in Milkipur, saying that elections cannot be held on this seat due to 'election under petition'. Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said that this is also the situation in Bengal's Basirhat Lok Sabha seat, where by-election is not being held due to the death of the MP.

What does election petition mean?

An election petition is a legal process in which the validity of an election result is challenged. This process comes under the Representation of the People Act 1951, and for this the petitioner must be nominated. After the petition is filed, all documents are sealed, and the High Court or Supreme Court hears it.

Is this the only reason?

Former Chief Election Commissioner SY Qureshi, commenting on the matter, said that after the election petition, the commission has to wait for the court's decision. However, no decision has come from the court regarding Milkipur yet. This situation has raised questions in the minds of many political parties and analysts whether the Election Commission has taken this decision only on the basis of the petition?

Chakshu Rai of PRS Legislative also gave an example and said that when BJP MP Girish Bapat died in March 2023, even then the Election Commission did not conduct by-elections in Pune citing the election petition. However, later the High Court had directed the Commission to conduct by-elections, but the Supreme Court gave relief to the Commission citing the proximity of the elections.

SP's allegation and future politics

Regarding not holding by-elections on Milkipur seat, SP supporters say that if BJP loses here, its reputation will suffer a lot. Because, the story of BJP's political rise started from Ayodhya itself. In the 2024 elections, SP has fielded Awadhesh Prasad's son Ajit Prasad from Milkipur seat. In such a situation, if BJP loses here, it will be a big setback for the party.

SP also says that Milkipur seat has become a question of prestige for BJP. In such a situation, the decision of the Election Commission has given a new issue to SP and other opposition parties, which they will try to take advantage of in the election campaign.

Conclusion

The decision of the Election Commission not to hold a by-election on the Milkipur assembly seat has raised many questions among political pundits and the general public. This decision will not only affect the political situation of that area, but will also clear the picture of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Now it will be interesting to see what happens next on this seat and what steps the Election Commission takes on this.