Lucknow: The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) will contest the Azamgarh parliamentary constituency bye-election and has picked former MLA Shah Alam alias Guddu Jamali as its candidate.
Meanwhile, the party has decided to stay away from contesting the Rampur parliamentary constituency bye-election. "Bahujan Samaj Party has decided to contest the Azamgarh with full strength. But, BSP will not contest the bypoll on the Rampur seat because we need to make the party stronger in the seat. The party will certainly contest there in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections," Mayawati said in a statement issued by the party.
By fielding Jamali, BSP eying more Muslim votes. Seats fell vacant in Azamgarh and Rampur after Samajwadi Party (SP) leaders Akhilesh Yadav and Azam Khan resigned as MPs from the seats after winning in the 2022 Assembly elections. Akhilesh was elected as an MLA from the Karhal assembly seat while Azam was elected from the Rampur Sadar constituency. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Samajwadi Party had contested the polls in alliance with the BSP and Azam had won from Rampur. The two Lok Sabha seats would go to poll on June 23. —ANI
