Campaigning for Lok Sabha third phase poll concludes in Uttar Pradesh
Lucknow, Apr 21 (UNI): Campaigning for the third phase of Lok Sabha elections ended in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday evening in 10 constituencies in the Ruhelkhand region, identified as a Yadav-Muslim-belt.
Polling on April 23 will be held on between 0700 hours and 1800 hours.
The third phase polling in UP, will decide the fate of Union minister Santosh Kumar Gangwar (Bareilly), Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav (Mainpuri), actor-turned-politician Jaya Prada and Samajwadi Party leader Mohammad Azam Khan (Rampur), BJP candidate Varun Gandhi (Pilibhit) and Pragatsheel Samajwadi Party Lohia (SBSP) Shivpal Singh Yadav (Ferozabad).
The canvassing in this phase was marked by Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati and SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadav sharing dais in Mainpuri on Friday.
The Mahagathbandan too held couple of joint meetings to seek support for the candidates while Congress president Rahul Gandhi addressed a meeting in Badaun in support of party candidate Salim Shervani.
An interesting contest is being witnessed in Rampur where Jaya Prada of BJP is pitted against her bitter rival and SP candidate Mohammad Azam Khan. Recently, EC had banned electioneering of Azam for 72 hours for reportedly making a derogatory remark against Jaya Prada.
While Akhilesh Yadav campaigned for Azam, former SP leader Amar Singh, addressed two election meetings in support Jaya Prada.
The Bharatiya Janata Party led the campaigning in this phase too, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi holding two meetings in Moradabad on April 14 and in Etah and Bareilly on Saturday.
BJP president Amit Shah also held a couple of meetings in the constituencies going to poll in this phase, while UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath criss-crossed the region, addressing several rallies on a daily basis along with other senior leaders. Union home minister Rajnath Singh too campaigned rigorously in this phase.
The 10 constituencies going to polls in this phase are Moradabad, Rampur, Sambhal, Firozabad, Mainpuri, Etah, Badaun, Aonla, Bareilly and Pilibhit. Except for Badaun and Mainpuri, the remaining eight seats are currently held by the BJP.
Most of the constituencies will see a direct fight between the BSP-SP alliance and the BJP, but presence of Congress in some seats has made the contest triangular, apparently giving an edge to the BJP.
A strong 1.76 crore electorate, including 95,56,471 males and 80,92,943 females, are expected to exercise their franchise in the third phase of polls at 20,116 polling booths were 120 candidates are in the fray.
The highest of 16 candidates are in the fray from Bareilly seat followed by 14 each in Aonla and Etah, 13 each in Pilibhit and Moradabad, 12 each in Sambhal and Mainpuri, 11 in Rampur, 9 in Badaun and lowest six candidates in Ferozabad seat.
Image Credit: twitter.com/samajwadiparty
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