UP Polls Phase 2: BJP's challenge to hold on 2017 gains, SP-RLD hoping for farmers' support

The 55 Assembly seats going to polls in the second phase of elections in Uttar Pradesh may prove to be a key electoral battleground as the BJP had won 38 constituencies in 2017. The incumbent BJP is now facing a challenge from the Samajwadi Party-Rashtriya Lok Dal alliance in the sugarcane bowl of the state.

The SP-RLD alliance is hoping to gain in the region from the long farmers' agitations, which were called off only after PM Narendra Modi had announced the rollback of the farm laws.

Of the 55 assembly constituencies which are going to the polls in this phase, the BJP had won 38 in 2017, Samajwadi Party had bagged 13 and the Congress and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) had won two seats each.

The SP and the Congress had contested the 2017 Assembly elections in a pre-poll alliance, but the BJP had swept the polls.

Areas going to the polls in the second phase have a sizeable Muslim population, who are known to be influenced by religious leaders of the Barelvi and Deoband. The Samajwadi Party is seen to have a larger following among the Muslim electorate in the region.

Deoband, Rampur, Maniharan, and Gangoh constituencies in Saharanpur and Sambhal and Asmoli in Sambhal are some of the keenly watched out electoral battlegrounds in the second phase of the elections.

As many as 586 candidates are in the fray for the 55-member Assembly seats in the second phase, with two crore voters. The seats are spread across nine districts of Saharanpur, Bijnor, Moradabad, Sambhal, Rampur, Amroha, Budaun, Bareilly, and Shahjahanpur.

The seats going to polls for the second phase in Uttar Pradesh are Najibabad, Nagina (SC), Barhapur, Dhampur, Nehtaur (SC), Behat, Nakur, Saharanpur Nagar, Saharanpur, Thakurdwara, Moradabad Rural, Moradabad Nagar, Bijnor, Chandpur, Bithari Chainpur, Bareilly, Bareilly Cantt., Noorpur, Kanth, Dhanaura (SC), Naugawan Sadat, Amroha, Hasanpur, Gunnaur, Bisauli (SC), Kundarki, Bilari, Chandausi (SC), Asmoli, Sambhal, Suar, Chamraua, Bilaspur, Rampur, Milak (SC), Deoband, Rampur Maniharan (SC), Gangoh, Sahaswan, Bilsi, Badaun, Shekhupur, Dataganj, Baheri, Meerganj, Bhojipura, Nawabganj, Faridpur (SC), Aonla, Katra, Jalalabad, Tilhar, Powayan (SC), Shahjahanpur and Dadraul.

Among the prominent faces whose fate will be sealed in this phase are Samajwadi Party leader Mohammad Azam Khan from Rampur, the BJP leader, Uttar Pradesh Finance Minister Suresh Khanna from Shahjahanpur, Jal Shakti state minister, and BJP leader Baldev Singh Aulakh from the Bilaspur constituency.

Azam Khan's son Abdullah Azam is contesting from the Swar seat. He is up against Haider Ali Khan, who has been fielded by Apna Dal Sonelal, a BJP ally. While Apna Dal (Sonelal) has fielded former Congress party member Haider Ali Khan from Suar.

Uttar Pradesh Finance Minister Suresh Khanna is in the fray from the Nakud Assembly segment.

Other key candidates in the fray are the Minister of State for Urban Development Mahesh Chandra Gupta from Badaun, and the Minister of State for Secondary Education Gulab Devi from Chandausi.

The former mayor of Bareilly Supriya Aron is contesting from Bareilly Cantonment on the Samajwadi Party symbol.

The BJP, Samajwadi Party, Congress, and the BSP have campaigned aggressively in this phase of the elections.

Samajwadi Party in its manifesto has promised of making all farmers debt-free within four years if the party comes to power in the state. Congress has promised to procure wheat and paddy at Rs 2,500 per quintal while timely payment of sugarcane farmers would also be done.

While the BJP said it is working for a permanent solution for sugarcane farmers of Uttar Pradesh. The BJP has said that sugarcane farmers will also benefit from ethanol blending in petrol and diesel.

The voting will begin at 7 am tomorrow and end at 6 pm.

( With inputs from ANI )