UP assembly bypolls: SP leading in Chhanbey, Apna Dal (S) in Suar

Lucknow: The Samajwadi Party and BJP ally Apna Dal (Sonelal) are leading on one seat each in the ongoing assembly by-elections in Uttar Pradesh, according to the latest trends.

Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate Kirti Kol is ahead of her nearest rival and Apna Dal (Sonelal) nominee Rinki Kol in the Chhanbey (SC) seat by 3,304 votes, the trends on the Election Commission website showed.

In Suar, Shafeek Ahmed Ansari of the Apna Dal (Sonelal) is ahead of his nearest rival and SP nominee Anuradha Chauhan by 2,217 votes, it showed.

Bypolls were held for the Suar assembly seat in Rampur district and the Chhanbey (SC) assembly seat in Mirzapur district on May 10.

The Suar seat fell vacant in February following the disqualification of SP leader Azam Khan's son Abdullah Azam Khan as an MLA after a Moradabad court sentenced him to two years in jail in a 15-year-old case.

The Chhanbey seat fell vacant after the death of Apna Dal (Sonelal) MLA Rahul Prakash Kol in February.

In the 403-member Uttar Pradesh assembly, the ruling BJP has 255 MLAs, and its ally Apna Dal (Sonelal) and the NISHAD Party have 11 and six legislators, respectively.

The Samajwadi Party has 109 MLAs while its ally the Rashtriya Lok Dal has nine. The Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party has six MLAs, the Congress and the Jansatta Dal (Loktantrik) have two each and the Bahujan Samaj Party has one member in the assembly.