pig vidhan sabha chunav
– Photo: Amar Ujala
Expansion
The prestige of SP leader Azam Khan as well as the BJP alliance is at stake in the by-election for Rampur’s Swar assembly seat. Apna Dal (S) candidate may be in the fray in the by-election, but he has the support of the BJP. The noise of this by-election may have been less due to civic elections, but its result will have an impact on the 2024 Lok Sabha elections as well.
Azam Khan’s son Abdullah Azam won the 2022 assembly elections from the minority-dominated Swar assembly seat. His legislature was canceled on February 15, 2023, after being sentenced to two years by the Moradabad court. After this, the Election Commission announced that by-elections will be held on this seat along with the elections to the Karnataka Legislative Assembly.
Congress, BSP and Aam Aadmi Party refused to participate in the by-election. BJP left this seat for Apna Dal (S). Apna Dal (S) has declared Shafiq Ahmad Ansari, former municipal president of Swar, as its candidate. The SP opened its cards at the last moment and surprised everyone by announcing Anuradha Chauhan as its candidate, about half an hour before the deadline for filing nominations.
The political equations of this seat changed with the coming of a Muslim candidate from Apna Dal (S) and a Hindu candidate from SP. Senior leaders of BJP and SP kept distance from campaigning in the bypoll.