UP Assembly Election 2022, Phase 5 Voting Live Updates: There are 692 candidates in the fray for this phase of the elections, which span over 12 districts and 61 constituencies
5th Phase voting of UP assembly Elections 2022 latest news and updates
UP Election 2022 Voting LATEST Updates: Voting for fifth phase of the crucial Uttar Pradesh elections kicked off on Sunday in 61 Assembly seats across 12 districts, which cover the eastern part of the state.
These include Amethi, Raebareli, Sultanpur, Chitrakoot, Pratapgarh, Kaushambi, Prayagraj, Barabanki, Ayodhya, Bahraich, Shravasti and Gonda. There are 692 candidates in the fray this time.
As part of the electioneering for the fifth phase, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath have participated in the campaigning. Akhilesh Yadav, chief of the Samajwadi Party, BSP supremo Mayawati and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra too have toured the constituencies extensively.
Campaigning for the fifth phase ended on Friday evening, and all necessary arrangements have been completed, state chief election officer Ajay Kumar Shukla said on Saturday.
Polling will start at 7 am and will continue till 6 pm, he said.
Star Power
Prominent faces in this phase include deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, who is contesting from the Sirathu assembly seat in Kaushambi district. He is facing Apna Dal (Kamerawadi) candidate Pallavi Patel.
Others in the fray are Siddharth Nath Singh from Allahabad West, Rajendra Singh, alias Moti Singh, from Patti (Pratapgarh), Nand Gopal Gupta Nadi from Allahabad South and Ramapati Shastri from Mankapur (Gonda).
Raghuraj Pratap Singh, alias Raja Bhaiya, who is the MLA from Kunda since 1993, is once again in the fray from his party Jansatta Dal, with old aide Gulshan Yadav contesting against him on a Samajwadi Party ticket.
Union minister Anupriya Patel's mother and Apna Dal (K) leader Krishna Patel is contesting from the Pratapgarh seat. Apna Dal (K) has entered into an alliance with the Samajwadi Party.
Union minister Anupriya Patel, heading a rival faction of the party named after her father Sonelal Patel, however, has handed over the seat to the BJP to challenge her mother Krishna Patel.
Congress legislative party leader Aradhana Mishra Mona is fighting from Rampur Khas seat of Pratapgarh.
Past results
In 2017, BJP had won 38 seats out of 55, while the SP had retained 15 and the Congress had won two seats.
Arithmetic
According to Economic Times, Backward castes (mainly Kurmis), Brahmins and Thakurs, followed by scheduled castes, especially Pasis, and Muslims form the complex caste and religious arithmetic of the region. With Brahmins and Thakurs traditionally being BJP supporters and Muslims seen to be consolidating behind the SP this time, backward castes and scheduled castes will seal the fate of the candidates in many seats.
What's at stake
The Samajwadi Party has promised 300 units of free electricity to the people in the state and a waiver of house tax. The BJP has promised free power for irrigation to farmers for five years if it retains power and a free LPG gas cylinder on Holi and Diwali. Meanwhile, the Congress has promised to waive all farm loans, purchase wheat and paddy at Rs 2,500 per quintal, and sugarcane at Rs 400 per quintal, pay compensation of Rs 3,000 per acre of farm land damaged by stray cattle or other animals and purchase cow dung at Rs 2 per kilo from farmers.
With the completion of polling on Sunday, Uttar Pradesh will have voted on 292 of the total 403 seats in the Assembly. The last two phases of the elections will be held on 3 and 7 March. Results will be declared on 10 March.
With input from agencies
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