UP bypolls: SP loses fight to BJP on Akhilesh Yadav's home turf

The BJP has won two parliamentary seats in Uttar Pradesh, both strongholds of the Samajwadi Party. Azamgarh and Rampur seats were vacated by Akhilesh Yadav and Azam Khan following their election to the state Assembly.

In a major jolt to the Samajwadi Party (SP) in Uttar Pradesh, the BJP was able to snatch two parliamentary seats --Rampur and Azamgarh -- by clear margins. BJP's Dinesh Lal Yadav 'Nirahua' and Ghanshyam Singh Lodhi emerged victorious in the Lok Sabha bypolls, whose results were announced today.

Both the seats have been strongholds of SP. Azamgarh was vacated by SP chief Akhilesh Yadav following his election to the state Assembly. Dinesh Lal Yadav 'Nirahua', a Bhojpuri actor-singer, won the seat by defeating SP's Dharmendra Yadav by nearly 5,000 votes.

Guddu Jamali of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) came third in the race for the parliamentary seat, garnering 29.27% of the votes.

The by-poll 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. @BJP4UP

Rampur seat was similarly vacated by Azam Khan. Incidentally, BJP's Ghanshyam Lodhi, who recently joined the party, defeated Khan’s long-time associate Asim Raja by over 40,000 votes. BSP did not contest for the seat.