Polling for the sixth phase of the UP Assembly elections covering 68 seats spread over 13 districts would be held tomorrow, that would decide the fate of RLD’s youth face, Mr Jayant Chaudhary, and the State Energy Minister, Mr Ramveer Upadhyaya, among others.
Thirteen districts where polling would be held include Saharanpur, Prabuddha Nagar, Meerut, Bagpath, Ghaziabad, Panchsheel Nagar, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Bulandshahr, Aligarh, Muzaffarnagar, Mathura, Mahamayanagar and Agra.
“More than 2.17 crore voters are expected to cast their votes at 22,137 polling centres,” the Election Commission said.
A total of 1,103 candidates, including 1,017 men and 86 women are in the fray in this phase.
To ensure free and fair election, adequate forces, including central forces, have been deployed.
All the political parties including the Congress, SP, BSP, BJP and RLD have campaigned extensively in the State.
This phase would test the popularity of the Congress’ alliance with the Ajit Singh-led Rashtriya Lok Dal, which has its stronghold in the western region of the State.
It would also decide the fate of the deputy leader of the BJP Legislative Party, Mr Hukkum Singh, and former minister, Mr Rajveer Singh, who is also the son of former Chief Minister, Mr Kalyan Singh.
While the RLD’s Mr Jayant Chaudhary, who is the MP from Mathura, is contesting from the Math seat in Mathura, the Energy Minister Mr Ramveer is seeking a re-run from the Sikandrarau seat in Hathras district.
Mr Ramveer’s prominence would also be put to test in the Sadabad and Dibai seats from where his brother-in-law Mr Satyendra Sharma and brother Mr Vinod Updhayaya are contesting respectively. The latter is pitched against Mr Rajveer Singh, son of former CM, Mr Kalyan Singh.
Two more Cabinet ministers, Mr Jaiveer Singh and Mr Dharm Singh Saini, are also in the fray in this phase from the Barauli and Nakud seats.
The popularity of Mr Rashid Masood, who left the SP and joined Congress, would also be put to test in this phase as his nephew, Mr Imran Masood, is in the fray from the Nakud seat in Saharanpur district.
This phase would also decide the impact of an appeal made by the Shahi Imam of Delhi’s Jama Masjid, Maulana Ahmad Bukahri, in favour of the SP as his son-in-law Mr Umar Ali is in the fray for the Behat seat in Saharanpur disrict.