Azamgarh-Rampur By-Election 2022 / Queue at booths, 8% in Rampur till 9 am, 9% voting in Azamgarh

Voting for Azamgarh and Rampur Lok Sabha by-elections is going on from 7 am today. Voters are showing enthusiasm for voting in both the seats. There is a queue of voters at the booths since morning. Till 9 am, 7.86 per cent polling was recorded in Rampur and 9.21 per cent in Azamgarh. The reputation of SP and BJP is at stake in both the seats. Counting of votes will take place on June 26. BSP has not given a candidate in Rampur. Guddu Jamali is the candidate of BSP in Azamgarh. The SP-BJP and BSP are making claims of their respective victories. This time the BJP has thrown its full force in both the seats. While Akhilesh Yadav kept himself away from campaigning for the by-polls. He neither went for campaigning in Azamgarh, nor in Rampur.

By-elections to Azamgarh and Rampur seats have been held due to the resignation of SP President Akhilesh Yadav and Azam Khan from the membership of Lok Sabha after the victory in the last assembly elections. Samajwadi Party has fielded former Badaun MP Dharmendra Yadav in Azamgarh while BJP has fielded Dinesh Lal Yadav Nirhua as its candidate. Nirhua also contested the 2019 Lok Sabha elections as a BJP candidate from Azamgarh but was defeated by Akhilesh Yadav. This time Nirhua and the entire BJP is making claims of his victory.

In Azam Khan's stronghold Rampur, the Samajwadi Party has fielded his close aide Asim Raza. Whereas BJP has bet on Ghanshyam Lodhi. Ghanshyam Lodhi has also been close to Azam Khan. He became MLC in 2004 and MLA in 2007. He lost the 2009 Lok Sabha elections. Before SP, Ghanshyam Lodhi has also lived in BSP. He has joined BJP in 2022 itself. In Rampur, Azam Khan was very active in the election campaign even though he was not healthy. Perhaps this is the first time that the biggest local face of the Congress remained with the BJP throughout the election without leaving the party. Now it remains to be seen how effective the open appeal made by former minister Nawab Kazim Ali Khan alias Naved Mian to Muslims to reject Azam and SP works. At present, it is believed that the contest is confined between SP-BJP.

tight security arrangements

There are 18.39 lakh voters in five assembly constituencies in Azamgarh. A total of 13 candidates are in the fray. Voting will be held till 6 pm. The parliamentary constituency has been divided into 15 zones for voting. A total of 1149 polling stations have been set up. A zonal magistrate has been deployed to monitor them. Sector magistrates have been posted on these zones by dividing them into 137 sectors. In Rampur, more than 17 lakh voters will decide the fate of six candidates. The administration has made tight security arrangements for the polling being held at 2058 booths.

Many were banned in Azamgarh for fear of breach of peace

Many people have been banned in Azamgarh for fear of disturbing the peace. SP Anurag Arya told ANI, 'All such people who can disturb the peace were banned under different legal provisions and action was taken against them. I would like to assure the people that voting is taking place with complete peace and order. All the security personnel are doing their duty diligently.