Mayawati Asked Supporters To Stay Away From Key Poll, Says Party's UP Head

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati has asked the party's supporters to stay away from the bypoll to the Ghosi assembly seat, voting for which will be held on Tuesday, a functionary has said.

The bypoll was necessitated following the resignation of Samajwadi Party MLA Dara Singh Chauhan, who joined the BJP.

As per Mayawati's directions, leaders and workers are busy preparing for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Vishwanath Pal -- the party's Uttar Pradesh unit president -- told PTI on Monday.

"Behanji (Mayawati) is our leader. Her orders are that we should completely stay away from the by-election. We have nothing to do with the bypoll and are preparing for the Lok Sabha elections," he added.

Voting in the bypoll will be held on Tuesday from 7 am to 6 pm, an official said. Counting of votes will be held on September 8.

While Mr Dara Singh Chauhan is seeking re-election on a BJP ticket, the Samajwadi Party has fielded Sudhakar Singh.

The bypoll is the first electoral showdown between the BJP and an INDIA bloc constituent in Uttar Pradesh, with leaders of both sides going all out to drum up support for their candidates.

Mr Pal said, in an apparent reference to Mr Chauhan's return to the BJP, "Large-scale corruption is going on in the state by splitting MLAs. The anti-defection law was made so that such things do not happen. But, despite this, people have started a new thing."

"The MLA who has been elected for a five-year term is made to resign on allegations of corruption and then included in the party. After this, elections are held again and the burden of the expenditure is forced upon the public," he added.

Mr Pal said this is not in the public interest and added that the BSP boycotts such acts.

Asked if the party cadre and supporters will boycott the bypoll, Mr Pal said, "Behanji (Mayawati) is our leader and she has told us to completely stay away from the by-election. The public is being cheated and a conspiracy hatched. When we are away from the election, where does the question of voting arise?"

Mr Pal added that Mayawati's message has reached all party workers. "When our party is out of the election, how will we cast our votes?" he asked.

The BSP won from the Ghosi seat in the 1993 and the 2007 assembly elections.

There are 10 candidates contesting the bypoll. The BSP has not fielded one.

Although the bypoll will have no bearing on the BJP government, which enjoys a comfortable majority in the 403-member House, its outcome is equally important as it comes just before next year's Lok Sabha election and could be an indicator of what is in store in next year's Lok Sabha elections.

Opposition INDIA bloc members Congress and the Left parties have thrown their weight behind the Samajwadi Party nominee.

A win for the Samajwadi Party will strengthen party chief Akhilesh Yadav's position and role within the INDIA alliance and also seal his candidature for leading the bloc in the politically important state, which sends 80 MPs to the Lok Sabha.

The ruling NDA recently inducted the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party with its chief Om Prakash Rajbhar vigorously campaigning for the BJP candidate.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)