UP Election 2022: Battle among heavyweights, key contests in first phase
In this phase, 623 candidates, including independents, are in the fray. The BJP had won 53 out of 58 seats in the 2017 Assembly elections.
FollowIn the first of the seven-phase election, 58 Assembly constituencies in 11 districts of the state are under voting to polls. The districts where the elections will be held are Muzaffarnagar, Meerut, Baghpat, Ghaziabad, Shamli, Hapur, Gautam Buddh Nagar, Bulandshahr, Aligarh, Agra and Mathura.
In this phase, 623 candidates, including independents, are in the fray. The BJP had won 53 out of 58 seats in the 2017 Assembly elections.
The fate of nine ministers of the Yogi government is at stake in the first phase of Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. The nine ministers are: Suresh Rana, Atul Garg, Shrikant Sharma, Sandeep Singh, Anil Sharma, Kapil Dev Agarwal, Dinesh Khatik, Dr GS Dharmesh and Chaudhary Laxmi Narain.
Also read: UP Election 2022: Polling underway on 58 seats in first phase
Here are key contests in first phase polling to look out for:
Sardhana: BJP’s hardline leader and two-time MLA Sangeet Singh Som vs SP’s Atul Pradhan
Gautam Buddha Nagar (Noida): BJP’s Pankaj Singh (sitting MLA) vs Congress’ Pankhuri Pathak
Kairana: SP’s Nahid Hasan (sitting MLA) vs BJP MLA’s daughter Mriganka Singh
Mathura: Shrikant Sharma (BJP sitting MLA) vs Congress’ Pradeep Mathur (sitting MLA) vs SP’s Davendra Agrawal
Thana Bhawan: Two-time winner Suresh Kumar of BJP vs RLD’s Ashraf Ali Khan
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Meanwhile, early voters queued up at many polling booths to exercise their franchise. People queue up at polling booths as they cast their vote in Sardhana Assembly constituency of Meerut, Kairana, Noida and Hapur. People queued up at the polling booth in Purva Madhyamik Kanya Vidyalaya, Kutbi as they await their turn to cast vote.
The 403-member Uttar Pradesh Assembly is scheduled to go to the polls in seven phases on February 10, 14, 20, 23, 27, March 3, and 7. The counting of votes will take place on March 10.
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