AIMIM to not contest Mainpuri, Rampur bypolls in UP

All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) on Friday announced that the party will not contest the upcoming bye-elections in Uttar Pradesh.Issuing a notice, AIMIM state president Shaukat Ali said AIMIM will not field any candidate in Mainpuri Lok Sabha bypolls and Khatauli and Rampur assembly seat bye-elections.

The polling for the bypolls will take place on December 5 and the votes will be counted on December 8, coinciding with the result dates of the Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections.

Mainpuri Lok Sabha seat fell vacant following Samajwadi Party (SP) patron Mulayam Singh Yadav's death. Notably, SP fielded Dimple Yadav, former MP and wife of party chief Akhilesh Yadav, as its candidate for the Mainpuri Lok Sabha constituency. Mainpuri is considered a stronghold of the Samajwadi Party.

The Khatauli seat fell vacant on Monday when Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Vikram Singh Saini was disqualified after his recent conviction in a case related to the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots. Rampur Assembly seat fell vacant after Samajwadi Party MLA Azam Khan was disqualified after a court sentenced him to three years in jail in a hate speech case last month.

The last date for filing nominations is November 17, while the date of scrutiny for nominations is November 18. The candidates will be able to withdraw their candidature till November 21.