It may look like any other by-elections held in Uttar Pradesh in recent years but it isn’t. The by-election for Ghosi assembly seat in UP has become a litmus test for the opposition alliance I.N.D.I.A. formed only a few months back. The main opposition party in UP, Samajwadi Party is taking Bharatiya Janta Party head-on in a direct fight here. With Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) deciding not to contest and other parties such as Congress, Rashtriya Lok Dal and Janta Dal United supporting SP candidate, the entire opposition is posing threat to the BJP in Ghosi.
Seven days left for polling
With barely seven days for the polling in Ghosi, stalwarts from both BJP and SP have been toiling hard for victory. On Tuesday, SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav addressed meetings in Ghosi while Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath would arrive here on September 2. Over a dozen ministers of the UP cabinet have been camping in Ghosi to ensure victory for BJP candidate while prominent SP leaders Shivpal Yadav and Ram Gopal Yadav along with others have been running from pillar to post to appease voters.
By-election in Ghosi has been necessitated after SP legislator from this seat, Dara Singh Chauhan resigned from the party as well as the assembly in July this year to join BJP. Chauhan was a cabinet minister in previous Yogi Government but had resigned a month before 2022 assembly polls to join BJP. In 2022 Dara Singh contested as SP candidate from Ghosi and won.
BJP's focus
According to political analysts, among 4.25 lakh voters of Ghosi assembly seat Muslims are 90000, Dalit 70000, Yadav 56000, Rajbhar 52000 and Chauhan 46000. While SP is banking on the support of Yadav, Muslim and Dalit voters, the BJP is sure of getting support of Rajbhar, Chauna and upper caste voters. Besides, the BJP has been working on the backward Muslim (Pasmanda) voters in Ghosi. The party deputed its lone Muslim minister Danish Azad Ansari in Ghosi to lure Pasmanda Muslms. Of the total Muslim voters in Ghosi 70 per cent belong to Pasmanda category and BJP is focusing on them. With prominent leader of community Om Prakash Rajbhar to its side, BJP is confident about getting bulk votes of this caste in Ghosi.