UP Lok Sabha bypoll election results: Owaisi blasts Akhilesh Yadav's SP for BJP's win in Rampur, Azamgarh; calls it a 'useless' party

The BJP on Sunday wrested the Samajwadi Party's bastions of Rampur and Azamgarh Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh. In Azamgarh, BJP's Dinesh Lal Yadav 'Nirahua' defeated SP candidate Dharmendra Yadav by a margin of 8,679 votes, while in Rampur, BJP's Ghanshyam Lodhi routed SP's Mohd Asim Raja by 42,192 votes.

UP Lok Sabha bypoll election results: Owaisi blasts Akhilesh Yadav's SP for BJP's win in Rampur, Azamgarh; calls it a 'useless' party

New Delhi: Hours after the Bharatiya Janata Party's victory in bypolls for the Rampur and Azamgarh Lok Sabha constituencies, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi on Sunday (June 26, 2022) said that the by-election results in Uttar Pradesh clearly show that the Samajwadi Party (SP) is incapable of defeating the saffron party. He also blamed SP chief Akhilesh Yadav for the party's defeat in the Rampur and Azamgarh bypolls and said that he has so much arrogance that he did not even visit people.

"The results of Rampur and Azamgarh elections clearly show that the SP has not the ability to defeat the BJP. Muslims should now instead of wasting their valuable votes on such useless parties, should create their own independent political identity and decide their fate themselves," he tweeted in Hindi.

"Akhilesh Yadav has so much arrogance that he did not even visit people. I would appeal to the Muslims of the country to make a political identity of their own," Owaisi told news agency ANI.

Bypoll election results 2022: BJP wrests Azamgarh, Rampur Lok Sabha seats

The BJP on Sunday wrested the Samajwadi Party's bastions of Rampur and Azamgarh Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh. In Azamgarh, BJP's Dinesh Lal Yadav 'Nirahua' routed SP candidate Dharmendra Yadav, a three-time MP and cousin of Akhilesh Yadav, by a margin of 8,679 votes, while in Rampur, BJP's Ghanshyam Lodhi defeated SP's Mohd Asim Raja by a comfortable margin of 42,192 votes.

Azamgarh and Rampur are high-profile constituencies vacated by SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and party stalwart Azam Khan after they were elected to the assembly.

In the Azamgarh Lok Sabha constituency, Yadavs constitute 21 per cent of the electorate, Muslims 15 per cent, Dalits 20 per cent and non-Yadav OBC voters are about 18 per cent. The SP had swept all the assembly segments in Azamgarh in the recent assembly polls.

In Rampur parliamentary constituency, nearly 49 per cent of the voters are Muslims. The SP had won three and the BJP two assembly segments.

Bypoll wins in Azamgarh, Rampur 'historic': PM Narendra Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the bypoll wins in Azamgarh and Rampur "historic" and said that it indicates wide-scale acceptance and support for the double engine Governments at the Centre and in Uttar Pradesh. 

The Prime Minister, who is currently in Germany to attend the G7 summit, said he is grateful to the people for their support and also appreciated the efforts of BJP Karyakartas in Uttar Pradesh.

"The bypoll wins in Azamgarh and Rampur are historic. It indicates wide-scale acceptance and support for the double engine Governments at the Centre and in UP. Grateful to the people for their support. I appreciate the efforts of our Party Karyakartas," he tweeted.

A message to dynastic, casteist parties: Yogi Adityanath on Azamgarh, Rampur bypoll election results

After BJP's win in Azamgarh and Rampur by-elections, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took a jibe at Opposition parties and said that people have sent a message that they are not ready to accept "dynastic" and "casteist" parties, and those who incite communal tensions and are criminals.

Speaking on the victory of BJP nominees in Azamgarh and Rampur seats, he noted that the victory has a message for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in the state.

"Today's victory has given this message very clearly in front of everyone that in 2024, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is going to win 80 out of 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh," an elated Adityanath said.

He said after winning more than two-thirds of the seats in the last assembly elections and securing a thumping majority in the legislative council elections, the BJP has now also won the by-elections to the two Lok Sabha seats.

"This shows that people approve of the policy of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Prayas and Sabka Vishwas' of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP," the UP CM added.

The chief minister said the BJP's "double engine government" -- dispensations of the same party at the Centre and in the state -- has secured "double victory" in the state under the leadership of Modi.

BJP won Rampur, Azamgarh Lok Sabha seats through dishonesty: Akhilesh Yadav

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav accused the ruling BJP of "grossly misusing" their power during the polls, and claimed people were "surprised" with the Azamgarh and Rampur election results. 

"The chronology of 'murder of democracy' in BJP rule: conspiracy to reject nominations, suppress candidates, misuse machinery to prevent voting, irregularities in counting, pressure on public representatives and toppling of elected governments. This is the bitter truth about 'Azadi ke Amrit Kaal'," Yadav said in a series of tweets in Hindi.

"This victory of the BJP is the victory of dishonesty, deceit, disregard for democracy and constitution, coercion, hooliganism by the administration, the 'Dhritarashtra' vision of the Election Commission, and hijacking of the public mandate by BJP's 'Kaurav' army. Democracy is bleeding and the public mandate lost," he said.

(With inputs from agencies)