Lucknow, August 27: After the Congress, the CPI(M) and CPI(ML) have extended support to the Samajwadi Party for the September 5 byelection to the Ghosi assembly seat in Mau district of Uttar Pradesh. The two Left parties said that they have taken the decision as "it is necessary to defeat the BJP to save the Constitution, democracy and the country and to get rid of the bulldozer rule in the state".

The by-election, which is the first after the opposition INDIA alliance was formed, is witnessing a keen contest between the BJP, which has fielded Dara Singh Chauhan, and the Samajwadi Party, which gave a ticket to former MLA from the constituency Sudhakar Singh. Ghosi Assembly By-Election 2023: BJP Lists 40 Star Campaigners for Bypoll to Uttar Pradesh Assembly Constituency.

Dara Singh Chauhan, a former minister in the Adityanath government, had switched from the BJP to the SP and won from the seat during the 2022 assembly elections. He rejoined the BJP last month and his resignation from the Assembly necessitated the election.

Communist Party of India (ML) state secretary Sudhakar Yadav, in a statement, said that both INDIA and NDA alliances will be face to face in this byelection before the 2024 general elections and it is necessary to defeat the NDA. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) too issued a similar statement.

Heeralal Yadav, secretary of the CPI(M), said that defeating the BJP in Uttar Pradesh is in the interest of the people of the state, democracy and the Constitution. Ghosi was once considered a stronghold of the Left and after independence, this area was represented by Left leaders like Jai Bahadur Singh and Jharkhande Rai. Uttar Pradesh By-Elections 2023: Bypoll to Vacant Rajya Sabha Seat From UP on September 15, EC Issues Notification.

On Saturday, Congress had extended its support to Samajwadi Party candidate Sudhakar Singh. "In the Ghosi by-election, the Congress has supported Sudhakar Singh, the candidate of Samajwadi Party, a constituent of 'INDIA' coalition," State President Ajay Rai announced. Voting for the Ghosi Assembly bypoll is scheduled for September 5 while the counting of votes will be held on September 8.