Campaigning ends in 10 Lok Sabha seats in UP going to polls in 3rd phase

Campaigning ends in 10 Lok Sabha seats in UP going to polls in 3rd phase

Campaigning in 10 Lok Sabha seats going to polls in the third phase on May 7 in Uttar Pradesh ended on Sunday evening at 1800 hrs.

This phase witnessed the longest time for campaigning between the phases, which gave all the political parties to spruce up their momentum and plan strategy to make the voting percentage increase.

In the past two phases, UP recorded low voting percentage which has made the political parties worry about the poll result.

In both the phases, the poll percentage dropped below 60 per cent.

The 10 Lok Sabha seats where campaigning ended on Sunday include Sambhal, Hathras (Reserved), Agra (Reserved), Fatehpur Sikri, Firozabad, Mainpuri, Etah, Badaun, Amla and Bareilly.

Voters will decide the fate of three of the five members of the family of former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Late Mulayam Singh Yadav, who are contesting the Lok Sabha elections in this third phase.

Prominent candidates among the total 100 in the fray in this phase are Dimple Yadav, daughter-in-law of Mulayam Singh Yadav and wife of SP national president Akhilesh Yadav. She is contesting from Mainpuri. The BJP has fielded Tourism Minister Jaiveer Singh against Dimple.

Shivpal Singh Yadav’s son Aditya Yadav is in the fray from Badaun and Prof Ram Gopal Yadav’s son Akshay Yadav is the SP candidate from Firozabad.

Union Minister of State SP Singh Baghel is the BJP candidate from Agra. The BJP has fielded Minister of State for Revenue Anoop Valmiki from Hathras.

It has fielded Rajveer Singh, son of former Chief Minister Kalyan Singh, from Etah and former Minister of State Chhatrapal Singh Gangwar from Bareilly.

In Fatehpur Sikri, the BJP has given ticket to Rajkumar Chahar while here Ramnath Sikarwar is in the fray from Congress.

The BJP campaign was led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and other state ministers and BJP leaders.

On the other hand, SP President Akhilesh Yadav, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and BSP supremo Mayawati held roadshows and rallies in these constituencies.

State Chief Electoral Officer Navdeep Rinwa said here on Sunday that campaigning has ended in the constituencies going to polls in the third phase.

Outsiders will not be allowed in the constituencies after the end of the campaigning, he said while adding that polling will be held from 7 am to 6 pm on May 7.

Around 26 per cent of the candidates contesting in the third phase of Lok Sabha polls in UP have criminal cases against them while 46 per cent are crorepatis.

Out of 10 Lok Sabha seats in the third phase, eight seats are of general category and two seats are reserved for Scheduled Caste.

These 10 Lok Sabha constituencies of the third phase fall under 12 districts including Moradabad, Sambhal, Hathras, Aligarh, Agra, Etah, Firozabad, Mainpuri, Etawah, Kasganj, Badaun and Bareilly.

There are 1.89 crore voters in 10 Lok Sabha constituencies of the third phase, of which 1.01 crore are male voters, 87.48 lakh are female voters and 752 are of third gender. There are a total of 12339 polling stations and 20415 polling booths in these constituencies.