The Bharatiya Janata Party's Bahoran Lal Maurya , who has previously served as an MLA from the Bhojipura constituency in 1996 and 2017, filed nomination for the the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council (MLC) by-election.
The by-election is scheduled for July 12, following the resignation of Swami Prasad Maurya on February 20. With the nomination deadline set for Tuesday and scrutiny on July 3, candidates have until July 5 to withdraw their names. Voting will take place on July 12 from 9 am to 4 pm, with the counting of votes beginning at 5 pm the same day.
Political analysts suggest that the BJP is poised to win this seat unopposed, given its significant number of MLAs. This move is seen as part of BJP's strategy to challenge the Samajwadi Party's influence, particularly targeting the support base of its chief, Akhilesh Yadav.
The BJP attributes its previous defeat in the Lok Sabha elections to a lack of support from non-Yadav OBC voters. By fielding Bahoran Lal Maurya, the party aims to regain this crucial vote bank. Maurya's nomination is considered a strategic move to appeal to the Maurya, Shakya, Saini, and Kushwaha communities.
Maurya was elected as an MLA from Bhojipura in Bareilly in 2017 but lost in the 2022 elections to Samajwadi Party candidate Shahzil Islam. Internal conflicts and opposition from local leaders contributed to his defeat, leading to protests against his candidacy within the BJP. Despite these challenges, the BJP high command has decided to back Maurya in the current by-election, aiming to secure the seat following Swami Prasad Maurya's departure to the Samajwadi Party.
