Sitapur, August 14, 2025 – The by-elections for the presidents of Mishrikh-Naimisharanya and Mahmoodabad Nagar Palikas in Sitapur district wrapped up with mixed results for the major parties. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) celebrated a win in Mishrikh, while the Samajwadi Party (SP) held onto Mahmoodabad. These polls were called after the sad passing of the previous leaders earlier this year, drawing attention from local voters and political watchers alike.
In Mishrikh-Naimisharanya, BJP candidate Seema Bhargav came out on top. She’s the daughter-in-law of local BJP MLA Ramkrishna Bhargav, which likely gave her a boost. Seema got 6,512 votes, beating SP’s Ram Devi, who managed 3,365 votes. That means a solid win by 3,147 votes. Other folks in the race, like independent Akanksha Verma with just 56 votes and Suman Devi with 447, didn’t make much of a dent. Six voters, picked NOTA, none of the above. The turnout here was decent, with about 11,575 out of 16,790 people showing up to vote.
Seema was all smiles after the win, saying it was thanks to the trust of the people and her party’s hard work. She promised to get cracking on local issues like better roads, drains, and homes for those who need them. But not everyone was happy. The SP cried foul, claiming some funny business during the counting, like votes being shifted around in the first round. They said Ram Devi lost 384 votes while Seema gained 344, and called on the election body to look into it. No word yet from the officials on that.
Over in Mahmoodabad, it was a different story. SP’s Aamir Arafat pulled off the victory with 8,906 votes. He edged out independent Atul Kumar Verma, who got 8,331 votes, by 575 votes. The BJP had a rough go, their candidate Sanjay Verma ended up fifth with only 1,332 votes. Other independents like Nadeem Ahmad (1,820 votes) and Ambarish Gupta (4,423 votes) trailed behind. 45 voters, picked NOTA, none of the above. Aamir, who’s the son of the late chairman Mohammad Ahmad, said the win came from years of serving the community and fighting for what’s right. He’ll focus on development too, making sure the town gets what it needs.
These bypolls happened because both previous presidents passed away in May. In Mishrikh, it was Munni Devi, who won as an independent in 2023 but later joined the BJP. She died after a long illness on May 12. In Mahmoodabad, Mohammad Ahmad, a four-time SP winner, died on May 7. Voting went smoothly on August 11, with tight security and no big troubles reported. Turnout in Mahmoodabad was around 26,503 out of 52,191 voters.
For the BJP, the Mishrikh win is a morale booster, especially with Seema’s family ties helping out. But losing Mahmoodabad stings, some party workers blame it on poor ticket choices, saying they ignored stronger local names like Atul Verma and went with Sanjay, who wasn’t well-known. This led to some grumbling inside the party.
Overall, these results show how local politics in Uttar Pradesh can swing based on community ties and quick decisions. Both winners are now set to lead their constituencies forward, but the allegations in Mishrikh might keep things buzzing for a bit. Folks in Sitapur will be watching to see if promises turn into real changes.
