Uttar Pradesh Sikandara Assembly bypoll: BJP confident of 'emphatic' victory, hopes to improve electoral margin

Lucknow: The BJP on Sunday exuded confidence that it will improve its electoral performance in the Sikandara Assembly bypoll scheduled for 21 December and end the year on a winning note. The Assembly seat in Kanpur Dehat district fell vacant after sitting BJP MLA Mathura Prasad Pal died on 22 July after a prolonged illness. “We will definitely register an emphatic win in the Sikandara Assembly by-elections, and with an improved margin as compared to the 2017 Assembly election,” Uttar Pradesh BJP spokesperson Rakesh Tripathi told PTI. [caption id=“attachment_4257201” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. PTI[/caption] “The results of Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections have put the rival political parties in a state of disappointment and shock. Before, they could recover from the shock, the results of the urban local bodies polls were out, and the BJP registered massive win in the mayoral elections,” he noted. The BJP has fielded Ajit Pal Singh from the Assembly constituency, while the Samajwadi Party has given ticket to Seema Sachan. The Congress has fielded Prabhakar from the Sikandara Assembly constituency. In all, there are 12 candidates in the fray. Out of this, there are five independent candidates. Voting will be held on 21 December and counting of votes will be done on 24 December. “The victory of BJP in the bypolls will be a perfect birthday gift to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his birthday eve,” Tripathi said. In the 2017 Assembly elections, BJP’s Mathura Prasad Pal had bagged 87,879 votes, and defeated the Bahujan Samaj Party candidate Mahendra Katiyar (Bablu) who was able to secure 49,776 votes.