UP LS bypolls: Saffron surge sinks Samajwadi forts

In a stunning upset, BJP wrested Azamgarh and Rampur Lok Sabha seats from the Samajwadi Party in the bypolls on Sunday. Azamgarh was vacated by SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and Rampur by party veteran Azam Khan. While SP-import Ghanshyam Lodhi won by over 42,000 votes against Azam's man Friday Asim Raja in Rampur, Bhojpuri film star and BJP's 'balladeer' Nirahua won a roller-coaster Azamgarh battle, which kept swinging both ways throughout the day.