India
Why BJP candidate Ramveer Thakur’s victory in Kundarki bypoll is remarkable | India News – Times of India
Kundarki, traditionally a Samajwadi Party (SP) stronghold, is one of the nine UP Assembly seats where by-elections were held besides the Vidhan Sabha elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand.
Parliamentary election results
Strong lead for BJP
Current trends point to an almost certain victory for Ramveer Thakur, who has built a significant lead over his nearest rival from the SP. Thakur is leading against SP’s Mohammad Rizwan, with the gap widening as votes are counted. Other candidates in the race include Chand Babu of the Aazad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram), Mohammad Varish of the All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen and Rafatullah of the Bahujan Samaj Party.
Located in Moradabad district and part of the Sambhal Lok Sabha constituency, Kundarki has a Muslim population constituting 60% of the residents.
Notably, the BJP fielded the only Hindu candidate, Ramveer Thakur, among eleven Muslim candidates. Mohammad Rizwan, representative of the INDIA bloc, has almost four decades of political experience. Rizwan previously won the Kundarki seat in 2002 but lost to BSP’s Akbar Husain in 2007. He bounced back with back-to-back victories in 2012 and 2017. A BJP victory in Kundarki would be a significant setback for SP leader Akhilesh Yadav as the constituency was under pressure for a long time. considered an SP bastion.
Controversies surrounding the polls
The Samajwadi Party accused the government of malpractices during the voting. SP chief Akhilesh Yadav alleged that police personnel were unlawfully checking voter cards and Aadhaar identity cards, intimidating voters and preventing members of minority communities from casting their votes. He demanded a re-election in Kundarki and claimed to be making systematic attempts to disenfranchise Muslim voters.
In response, the Election Commission of India has ordered the Uttar Pradesh government to ensure fair elections. It has also suspended seven police personnel, including two sub-inspectors, for violating election guidelines.
Factors behind BJP’s surge
With 25 of the 32 rounds of counting completed, the BJP’s likely victory can be attributed to several factors, including a split in Muslim votes, which favored the BJP. Moreover, anti-incumbency sentiments and reports of factionalism among SP leaders may have weakened their position.
The constituency also recorded the highest voter turnout among the nine seats where bypolls were held, which could have benefited the BJP had there been consolidation of Hindu votes. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Yogi Adityanath’s campaign emphasizing “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas” seems to have resonated with voters. BJP leaders,
Of the nine UP Assembly seats, BJP leads in six, SP in two and Rashtriya Lok Dal (an ally of BJP) in one. The results in Kundarki and other constituencies could further strengthen the BJP’s position ahead of the 2024 general elections.
