New Delhi, Feb 5 (IANS): Voting for the Milkipur bye-election in Ayodhya district of Uttar Pradesh began on Wednesday at 7 am. A total of 3,70,829 voters will cast their ballots to decide the fate of 10 candidates vying for the seat.

The main contenders for the prestigious Assembly seat are Chandrabhanu Paswan of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Ajit Prasad of the Samajwadi Party (SP).

The Milkipur constituency is reserved for the Scheduled Castes (SC), and the election is being closely watched due to its political significance in the state.

The stakes have been raised following the SP’s surprise victory in the Faizabad Lok Sabha seat last year, just months after the inauguration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

To ensure transparency and smooth conduct, robust security measures have been implemented. Webcasting will be conducted at 210 polling stations, while videography will be carried out at 25 stations.

In total, 71 polling stations have been equipped with micro observers, nine flying squad teams, nine static monitoring teams, six video monitoring teams, two super zonal magistrates, four zonal magistrates, and 41 sector magistrates to oversee the election process.

The Milkipur bypoll has become a prestige battle between the Samajwadi Party and the BJP, with both parties pushing hard to secure the seat.

The outcome of this bypoll will not only influence local politics but will also reflect the mood of the electorate in Uttar Pradesh, which is crucial for upcoming elections.

As the voting begins today, all eyes will be on the turnout and the result, which will play a significant role in shaping the future political landscape in the region.