BJP’s Chandrabhanu Paswan was leading by 11,635 votes over Samajwadi Party’s (SP) Ajit Prasad after the fourth round of counting for the Milkipur assembly bypoll on Saturday, according to the Election Commission website.
While Paswan polled 21,600 votes, Ajit Prasad, the son of SP’s Faizabad MP Awadesh Prasad, got 9,965 votes.
The bypoll was necessitated after Awadhesh Prasad vacated the seat following his election to the Lok Sabha last year.
While the SP is looking to retain the seat, the BJP sees the election as an opportunity to avenge its loss in Faizabad in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
In the 2022 Uttar Pradesh polls, Milkipur was the only seat the BJP lost in Ayodhya district.
While the BSP is not contesting the bypoll, the Congress is backing its alliance partner SP.
Earlier in the day, Paswan offered prayers at a temple.