UP poll process kicks off, notification issued for 1st phase
Team Udayavani, Jan 17, 2017, 12:21 PM IST
Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh assembly poll process today kicked off with the EC issuing notification for the first phase of voting on February 11 which will cover 73 constituencies spread over 15 districts in Muslim-dominated Western UP.
The filing of nominations for these constituencies started at 11 am, immediately after the notification, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) office here said.
The last date of filing nominations is January 24 while candidature can be withdrawn till January 27. The polling will be held on February 11.
Uttar Pradesh goes to polls in seven phases between February 11 and March 8.
The first phase will cover western UP districts, including riot-scarred Muzaffarnagar and Shamli, where BJP had fared well in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.
The other districts going to polls in the first phase are Baghpat, Meerut, Ghaziabad, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Hapur, Bulandshahr, Aligarh, Mathura, Hathras, Agra, Firozabad, Etah and Kasganj.
The Muslim-dominated areas will also be an acid test for BSP chief Mayawati, who is banking heavily on the Dalit-Muslim vote bank in the region which was once its favourite hunting ground.
This time, BSP is relying on Muslim support by giving them 97 tickets (out of 403). The poll outcome will reflect the extent to which Mayawati has been able to keep her Dalit support base intact amid intense wooing by BJP and also to what extent she can garner more Muslim support than last time.
The Samajwadi Party, now headed by Akhilesh Yadav after the EC decision in his favour, will also face a stern test in this region.
Over 2.57 crore voters, including around 1.17 crore women, will exercise their franchise in this phase.
Of these voters, 24.25 lakh are between the age group of 18 to 19 years, the CEO office said.
The turnout of voters, especially minorities, in the first two phases could give an inkling of the mood of Muslims and determine the shape of the contest.
The first phase in Muslim-dominated region could also bring out the impact of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) led by Asaduddin Owaisi.
Udayavani is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel and stay updated with the latest news.
Top News
Related Articles More
Salman Khan gets another threat; message sent to Mumbai traffic police helpline
SC overrules 1967 verdict holding AMU can’t be minority institution
Cong asks PM Modi why Gujarat’s white onion farmers given preferential treatment
Kharge slams Fadnavis, says people of Maharashtra will give a befitting reply to BJP
Kerala CM Vijayan alleges Priyanka contesting Wayanad bypoll with Jamaat-e-Islami support
MUST WATCH
Latest Additions
Ananya Panday wears mother’s 21-yr-old suit by Rohit Bal in tribute to late designer
Salman Khan gets another threat; message sent to Mumbai traffic police helpline
SC overrules 1967 verdict holding AMU can’t be minority institution
DK Child Protection Unit to conduct campaign to raise awareness of child trafficking
Kambala: Tradition and modernity in coastal Karnataka
Thanks for visiting Udayavani
You seem to have an Ad Blocker on.
To continue reading, please turn it off or whitelist Udayavani.