First test of INDIA bloc as it takes on NDA in Ghosi assembly bypoll

Lucknow: Voting for the Ghosi assembly bypoll, the first electoral showdown in Uttar Pradesh after the formation of the opposition INDIA bloc, began at 7 am on Tuesday.

The voting is being held at 455 polling stations and will conclude at 6 pm, the office of the state chief electoral officer said.

The Ghosi bypoll was necessitated by the resignation of Dara Singh Chauhan, who had won the seat in the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, from the Samajwadi Party (SP) in July.

The OBC leader returned to the BJP and was picked by the party to contest the Ghosi bypoll.

In the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, Chauhan had defeated BJP candidate Vijay Kumar Rajbhar by a margin of 22,216 votes. Ghosi had recorded a polling percentage of 58.59.

This time, Chauhan is pitted against the SP's Sudhakar Singh.

Chauhan is also being supported by NDA partners Apna Dal (Sonelal), Nirbal Indian Shoshit Hamara Aam Dal (NISHAD) Party and Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party, a former SP ally.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak campaigned for Chauhan.

Some INDIA bloc constituents -- Congress, CPI(M), CPI, RLD, AAP, CPI(ML)-Liberation and Suheldev Swabhiman Party -- have extended support to SP's Singh.

SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and his uncle Shivpal Yadav were among the main campaigners for Singh.

The bypoll will have no bearing on the BJP government, which enjoys a comfortable majority in the 403-member state assembly.

However, its outcome is important as it could be an indicator of what is in store for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Uttar Pradesh sends 80 MPs to the 543-member Lok Sabha.

Of the nearly 4.30 lakh voters in Ghosi, 90,000 are Muslims, 60,000 Dalits, 45,000 Bhumihars, 16,000 Rajputs and 6,000 Brahmins, according to estimates.

A total of 10 candidates are in the fray. The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has not fielded any candidate in the bypoll.

The counting of votes will be held on September 8.