The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced candidates for seven seats out of nine in the upcoming Uttar Pradesh assembly by-elections, setting up a high-stakes contest against the Samajwadi Party (SP).
A notable candidate is Anuj Yadav, a relative of SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, who has been fielded from the Karhal constituency. Anuj Yadav is the brother-in-law of MP Dharmendra Yadav and, through this relation, is also the brother-in-law of Akhilesh Yadav and the son-in-law of the late Mulayam Singh Yadav. His candidacy is seen as a significant move by the BJP to challenge the influence of the Yadav family in the region.
Among other BJP candidates, Suresh Awasthi has been given the ticket from Sisamau in Kanpur, while Dharamraj Nishad will contest from the Katehari seat in Ambedkarnagar. Ramveer Singh Thakur has been fielded from the Kundarki seat in Moradabad, Sanjeev Sharma from Ghaziabad, Surendra Diler from the Khair seat in Aligarh, Deepak Patel from the Phulpur seat in Prayagraj, and Suchismita Maurya from Majhawan in Mirzapur.
Additionally, in line with its alliance with the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), the BJP has given the Meerapur seat of Muzaffarnagar to RLD candidate Mithlesh Pal. This alliance is part of a broader strategy to consolidate votes in key constituencies.
Out of the seven BJP candidates, four belong to the Other Backward Classes (OBC), showcasing the party's focus on appealing to OBC voters. Additionally, the BJP has fielded one Dalit candidate and two from forward castes. Among the forward caste candidates, Sanjeev Sharma represents the Brahmin community, while Ramveer Singh Thakur is from the Thakur community.
Among the backward caste candidates, Deepak Patel represents the Kurmi community, Suchismita Maurya the Maurya community, Dharamraj Nishad the Nishad community, and Anuj Yadav the Yadav community. Surendra Diler, from the Valmiki community, has been given the ticket for the Khair seat, which is reserved for Scheduled Castes (SC).
“Battle between BJP and SP, not uncle and nephew”
Anuj Yadav, upon receiving the ticket from the BJP, arrived at the party office directly from his village, Bharol. Addressing journalists, he downplayed the narrative of a family rivalry, stating, “The fight for the Karhal assembly is not a battle between uncle and nephew but between the BJP and the SP. The public will give victory to the BJP in this contest.”
SP has fielded Tej Pratap Yadav, Akhilesh’s nephew, who also happens to be nephew of Anuj Yadav.
When asked if his candidacy would strain relationship within family Anuj remarked, “We have an example of Uncle Shivpal who had previously contested elections by forming a separate party. This election is about political differences, not personal ones.”
With the BJP and SP fielding strong candidates, the by-elections have set the stage for a fierce political contest in Uttar Pradesh. The focus on caste dynamics, alliance strategies, and the high-profile Karhal contest between the BJP and SP adds to the anticipation.
The outcomes of these by-elections will have a significant bearing on the political landscape of the state ahead of the 2027 assembly elections.
By-elections are being held for 9 seats: Katehari (Ambedkar Nagar), Karhal (Mainpuri), Meerapur (Muzaffarnagar), Ghaziabad, Majhawan (Mirzapur), Sisamau (Kanpur city), Khair (Aligarh), Phulpur (Prayagraj), and Kundarki (Moradabad).
In the 2022 assembly elections, the SP had won five of these seats — Sisamau, Katehari, Karhal, Milkipur, and Kundarki.
The BJP had secured victories in Phulpur, Ghaziabad, Majhawan, and Khair. The Meerapur seat was won by the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), which was then allied with the SP
