MILKIPUR (AYODHYA), Jan. 31 -- Seven months after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lost Faizabad parliamentary seat to the Samajwadi Party, the upcoming by-poll to Milkipur (reserved) assembly constituency, which is part of the Faizabad LS seat, has become a become a battle of prestige for both the parties.

While the SP is leaving no stone unturned in putting its Pichhda, Dalits and Alpsankhyak (PDA) formula to rigorous test and retain the seat, the BJP is playing the Hindutva card to consolidate voters across castes and wrest the seat which it last won in 2017.

For February 5 bypoll, both the SP and the BJP have fielded candidates from the Pasi community, which is dominant here. Majority of voters on the seat are a combination of Dalit...