LUCKNOW: Two assembly seats — Suar in Rampur and Chhanbe in Mirzapur — are set to vote on Wednesday. While the political might of SP’s Azam Khan is at stake in Suar, Chhanbe will be a test of credibility for Apna Dal (S), led by Anupriya Patel, who is a part of the Narendra Modi cabinet.
The bypoll in Suar is necessitated due to the disqualification of SP MLA Abdullah Azam, the son of Azam Khan, following his conviction and sentencing of a two-year jail term in a case of road blockage 15 years ago.
In Chhanbe, the death of Apna Dal (S) MLA Rahul Kol after a prolonged illness led to the bypoll. With the Mayawati-led BSP keeping out of the fray and the Congress fielding a candidate only from Chhanbey, the bypolls are set to be a contest between the BJP-led ruling coalition and the SP, the main opposition in the state.
The BJP has left both seats for ally Apna Dal (S). While the NDA has fielded a Pasmanda Muslim candidate, Shafiq Ansari, in Suar, the Muslim-dominated constituency, the SP has added colour to the contest by fielding a Hindu, Anuradha Chauhan, who is believed to be Azam Khan’s pick.