The Samajwadi Party's (SP) Tej Pratap Yadav has taken an early lead in the Karhal assembly bypoll in Uttar Pradesh, where voting was held on November 20. The by-election in Karhal is a critical battle between SP and the BJP, with Tej Pratap Yadav, nephew of SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, contesting against BJP's Anujesh Pratap Singh.
Anujesh Pratap Singh, a former SP leader who joined the BJP in 2017, is married to Sandhya Yadav, sister of Dharmendra Yadav, Samajwadi Party MP from Azamgarh. Mr Singh, a relative of Akhilesh Yadav, is counting on capitalising on his switch to BJP, appealing to traditional Yadav voters and other sections of society.
Election Results Live | NDA Crosses Majority Mark In Maharashtra, Ahead In Jharkhand, Show Leads
Tej Pratap Yadav represents the SP's stronghold in Karhal, a seat just four kilometres from Akhilesh Yadav's native village of Saifai in Etawah district. This constituency forms part of his wife Dimple Yadav's Mainpuri Lok Sabha seat and has remained an SP bastion since 1993, except for a brief BJP victory in 2002.
The bypoll was necessitated by the resignation of Akhilesh Yadav, the sitting MLA, following his election to the Lok Sabha from Kannauj.
BJP Winners In UP Bypolls Got Equal Votes Due To EVM Rigging? A Fact-Check After UP Bypoll Sweep, Yogi Adityanath Doubles Down On 'Batenge Toh Katenge' UP Assembly Bypolls Result: BJP Set For A Sixer In Uttar Pradesh, Wins 5, Leads 1 In 9 Bypolls "Intention To Dupe UPSC": Ex-IAS Trainee Puja Khedkar Denied Pre-Arrest Bail Send Sheikh Hasina Back To Dhaka, Bangladesh Writes To India Bangladeshi Traders "Forced" To Import From Pakistan Amid Growing Ties Centre Scraps 'No-Detention Policy' For Classes 5 And 8 Students How To Tax Popcorn? Government's GST Formula Sparks Debate Satellite Images, GPS, Fighter Jets: All About NORAD's Santa Tracker Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.