The first phase of polling in Western Uttar Pradesh ended on February 8, 2022. It proved to be an eventful day as both the ruling BJP party and main opposition Samajwadi Party (SP) released their manifestos. Finally, Prime Minister Narendra Modi ended his final speech in four minutes to finish by the stipulated deadline of 6 pm. With this, the campaigning for the first phase came to an end.
Polling will take place for 58 assembly constituencies spread across 11 districts out of the 403 total seats in the state on February 10. In adherence to the guidelines laid out by the Election Commission, the campaigning must end 48 hours before the close of polls for each phase.
Events that took place
Taking the lead in canvassing for the BJP, Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised fast-paced development in the state while also attacking the SP-RJD alliance. Union Home Minister Amit Shah undertook door-to-door campaigning in Mathura. The exodus of Hindus from Kairana before 2017 was brought to notice by the party.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav claimed that the voters have made up their minds to vote the BJP out of power in UP. The alliance of SP-RJD has been campaigning with a close focus on farmers’ issues. The Samajwadi Party also questioned Chief Minister Yogi on his poll promises.
The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has been campaigning to focus on the law and order situation, which chief Mayawati claims her party has a fantastic track record. While the main competition is between the BJP and SP-RJD alliance, the BSP still enjoys significant support in the first phase of polling, which cannot be overlooked.
The Congress Party, under the leadership of its general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, conducted roadshows and door-to-door campaigning.
An important point to note is that the canvassing remained confined to the virtual mode for the first time as physical rallies were banned out of safety concerns because of the coronavirus pandemic. The polling will be conducted on 58 seats, out of which nine are reserved, from 7 am to 6 pm on February 10, 2022.
Here are the districts where these elections will be held in the first phase:
- Shamli
- Hapur
- Gautam Buddh Nagar
- Muzaffarnagar
- Meerut
- Baghpat
- Ghaziabad
- Bulandshahr
- Aligarh
- Mathura
- Agra
A total of 623 candidates will be in the contest in the first phase. Around 2.23 crore people are eligible to vote in this phase. Considering the last time results, BJP won 53 of the 58 seats. The Samajwadi Party and the BSP got two seats each, while one seat went to the RLD (Rashtriya Lok Dal). Keep a close eye on polling as it starts on February 10.
