Muzaffarnagar (Uttar Pradesh), Nov 27 (IANS): Buoyed up by the support of the Tyagi community, BJP leader Shrikant Tyagi is now campaigning against the party in Khatauli where bypolls are to be held on December 5.

The Tyagi community had recently organised a panchayat in which it decided to oppose the BJP in the bypolls.

The BJP is locked in a direct contest with the SP-RLD candidate in Khatauli.

Talking to reporters, Shrikant Tyagi said, "The government has already done enough work of criminalising the Tyagi community. The community is angry and this time in Khatauli bypoll, Tyagis will not vote for the BJP. People will only vote for the candidate willing to take on the BJP's candidate."

Notably, in August this year, Shrikant, who identified himself as a BJP member, was booked by the UP Police for assaulting a woman in Noida, following a purported video which went viral on social media.

He was then arrested in Meerut on charges of molestation, rioting, cheating, and under relevant sections of the Gangster Act and sent to jail.

Later on August 21, a 'maha panchayat' was held in Noida in his support.

After spending a little over two months in jail, Shrikant was released on bail in October.

The bypoll for the Khatauli Assembly seat, which fell vacant following BJP MLA Vikram Singh Saini's disqualification after being convicted in the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots case, is scheduled to be held on December 5.

Vikram Saini's wife Rajkumari Saini is the BJP candidate in Khatauli while the RLD has fielded Madan Bhaiyya.