General Elections 2019 – Day 61

General Elections 2019 - Day 61

General Elections 2019 - Day 61

BJP faces a big challenge in defending 14 Purvanchal seats

In 2014, barring Azamgarh, BJP won 13 of the 14 seats and in the 6th phase of voting, the party faces a massive challenge defending it’s 13.

Eastern U.P has been a neglected and impoverished region of the country which failed to attract attention or investment by the state and central governments. The region suffers from massive unemployment forcing its youth and men to migrate to other states to work as low-paid labour in farms, factories, etc. Adding to the problem is lack of irrigated water and low-farm yield despite having fertile soil.

In 2014, the BJP swept all the seats except Azamgarh which remained loyal to SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav. The father has vacated the seat for his son Akhilesh and is contesting from Mainpuri.

For the BJP, the main challenge is coming together of SP and BSP in a region where OBC, Dalit and minority voters exceed the upper castes which have traditionally voted for the BJP. Of the 14 seats, the BJP will go head-on against the SP-BSP alliance while in two constituencies – Pratapgarh and Sultanpur, it will be a three-cornered contest between the BJP, SP-BSP, and Congress.

With Priyanka Gandhi’s late entry into eastern U.P politics, the contest becomes both exciting and unpredictable. BJP will be sweating the most.

Rohtak and Sonipat all set to decide the Hooda family’s fate

Rohtak and Sonipat are two important commercially centers in Haryana and represent a powerful political representation in the state and central politics.

Rohtak is considered a Bhupinder Singh Hooda (Cong) family bastion. The constituency voted the former CM from 1991 to 2004, except 1999 when Capt Inder Singh (INLD) won the seat.  From 2005 onwards, Rohtak has voted for Deepinder Singh Hooda (Cong), sitting MP and BS Hooda’s son. This year, he faces Dr Arvind Sharma (BJP) and Pradeep Deshwal (JJP). Rohtak is dominated by the Jats, followed by the Punjabi, other OBCs, SC/STs, Brahmins, Baniya, and Saini, in that order.

Former CM of Haryana BD Hooda is contesting the 2019 elections form Sonipat. In 2014, Ramesh Chander Kaushik (BJP) won the seat defeating JS Malik (INC). This time, he faces a formidable BS Hooda.

Winning both Rohtak and Sonipat is crucial for BJP and the Congress since the assembly elections are coming up later in the year.

Voters in Rohtak and Sonipat will vote their choice today.

Congress spreading rumours claims Akhilesh Yadav before crucial vote

The plot gets thicker coming a day before Phase 6 of polling. SP leader Akhilesh Yadav accused the Congress of spreading rumours that SP was working against alliance partner BSP. He had earlier accused the BJP of similar charges.

Akhilesh Yadav was responding to CM Yogi Adityanath’s accusation that SP was inducting goondas to do their dirty job. Akhilesh countered saying it was the BJP who recruited gangsters like the Rajan Tiwari, a known criminal from Bihar, into the party.

Akhilesh and Mayawati remain suspicious of Congress party moves as both believe they are playing their strategic game in U.P. and in the process damaging the chances of the alliance taking on the BJP, a common enemy of the alliance and the Congress.

EC orders re-polling in 2 polling booths in Bengal

EC had taken a serious note of violence and voter intimidation in two booths in West Bengal and ordered a re-poll on 12 May. The EC declared void the voting on 6 May in polling station 116 in Barrackpore and polling station 110 in Arambagh. Seven constituencies in West Bengal had voted during Phase 5, and eight constituencies will vote during Phase 6.

Barrackpore has voted for Dinesh Trivedi (TMC) in 2009 and 2014. He faces ex-TMC strongman Arjun Singh (BJP) and Gargi Chatterjee (CPI-M).

In Arambagh, Aparupa Poddar (Afrin Ali) of TMC is the sitting MP. She faces Tapan Ray (BJP) and Sakti Mohan Malik (CPI-M).