The Uttar Pradesh by-election has reached a fever pitch, as BSP Chief Mayawati, in a strong statement, accused the BJP and Congress of being “two sides of the same coin” and alleged a conspiracy to divide the Dalit community through new reservation policies.

She claimed that after Haryana, Telangana, and Karnataka governments have hurriedly implemented "reservation within reservation" systems, which she warned could fragment the Dalit community.

“Casteist parties like BJP, Congress, and SP pose a threat to the unity of Dalits,” Mayawati said. “To protect the legacy of Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar, we must remain vigilant against the divisive tactics of these parties.”

She urged her supporters to stay united to prevent what she described as an attempt to weaken reservation policies and the strength of the Dalit community.

“This is a deliberate attempt to render reservations ineffective, weakening the unity and progress of exploited and neglected Dalits across the nation,” Mayawati said and added that the implementation of this policy by both BJP and Congress-led states proves they share the same stance on reservation, which she contends is detrimental to the principles of social justice upheld by Dr. Ambedkar.

Mayawati urged vigilance, particularly against tactics like "Saam, Daam, Dand, Bhed" (negotiation, incentives, punishment, and division), which she claims are used to undermine the influence of marginalized communities in politics.

Adding to the pre-election fervor, Samajwadi Party (SP) Chief Akhilesh Yadav took to X (formerly Twitter) to criticize the UP government’s management of law enforcement, citing internal discord within the state police. He wrote, “Such is the condition of UP police: FIR of police, against police,” highlighting what he sees as a breakdown in law and order.

With the scrutiny of nomination papers concluded, the picture for the by-election is now clearer. Out of the 149 filed nominations, 54 have been rejected, with Muzaffarnagar's Meerapur seat witnessing the highest rejection —22 nominations were disqualified. In Phulpur, an FIR has been lodged against SP candidate Mujtaba Siddiqui under the SC/ST Act, adding further complexity to the election dynamics.