Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath  |  Photo Credit: ANI
Lucknow: The seven-phase Uttar Pradesh Assembly election will begin today, for 58 assembly seats spread across 11 districts in the western part of the state. Polling will start at 7 am and continue till 6 pm, in line with COVID-19 protocols put forth by the Election Commission. Campaigning for the relevant constituencies had ended on Tuesday evening.
“2.28 crore voters will exercise their franchise in 58 Assembly constituencies of 11 districts in western UP tomorrow. In place of EPIC card, voters can use 12 types of identity card to cast vote, including MGNAREGA card, PAN card, Aadhar card, and passport,” said additional CEO BDR Tiwari on Wednesday evening.
While the ruling NDA looks to secure a second term in office, the Samajwadi Party and its allies are looking to make a comeback. According to the Times Now-VETO Opinion poll survey published at the end of January, the BJP and its alliance partners are expected to win around 212-231 Assembly segments while the SP-led group is projected to bag 147-158 constituencies.
Amid a third wave of infections, the EC had curtailed public events in the five poll-bound states. As a result, canvassing for the first phase of the UP polls had remained primarily virtual, with a ban on roadshows and physical rallies. The SP-RLD alliance has centred their electioneering on farmers’ issues and has attacked Adityanath over poll promises. BSP chief Mayawati, who started campaigning late, reminded people of her government’s track record on law and order in the past. The Congress under the leadership of its general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has generated interest as seen in door-to-door campaigns.
In the run-up to the elections top BJP leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath have made the case for a double-engine government even as they attacked the Samajwadi Party-Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) combine. Similar efforts had also been made by other political parties in the fray, with many including Gandhi and SP leader Akhilesh Yadav campaigning actively.
Ministers whose fate will be decided in the first phase include Shrikant Sharma, Suresh Rana, Sandeep Singh, Kapil Dev Agarwal, Atul Garg and Chowdhury Lakshmi Narain.
The first phase will cover the Jat-dominated belt of western UP from where many farmers had joined last year’s lengthy protest against the three farm laws. The districts in question include Shamli, Hapur, Gautam Buddh Nagar, Muzaffarnagar, Meerut, Baghpat, Ghaziabad, Bulandshahr, Aligarh, Mathura and Agra.