High profile election campaigning has been launched in the western parts of Uttar Pradesh where 10 lok Sabha constituencies will go to polls on April 10.
The first phase will witness a keen contest for three Bollywood stars--Jaya Prada of RlD will be contesting from Bijnor seat while Congress candidate Nagma is contesting from Meerut. Another Bollywood star Raj Babbar, a sitting Congress MP from Firozabad, has shifted to Ghaziabad this time. Bollywood dream girl Hema Malani is also contesting on BJP ticket from Mathura.
However senior BJP, Congress and other leaders are yet to launch their campaigns and a clear picture of all the 10 seats would emerge on March 26, after the end of the withdrawals. The main attraction in the first phase would be witnessed at Ghaziabad seat where Raj Babbar of the Congress, former Army chief V K Singh of the BJP and Shazia Ilmi of the Aam Admi Party (AAP) will lock horns along with low profile candidates of the BSP and the SP.
Present sitting Ghaziabad MP and BJP president Rajnath Singh has shifted to lucknow this time Another keen contest would be witnessed in Baghpat, where a direct fight between sitting RlD president Ajit Singh and former Mumbai police Commissioner and BJP candidate Satpal Singh is expected. The first phase of the election would also cover the sensitive Muzaffarnagar lok Sabha seat, where communal riot broke out last year in which 67 people were killed and 50, 000 were rendered homeless.
The election process for second phase polls in 11 seats was also underway in the state and the nominations would close on March 26. The polling in the state for 80 lok Sabha seats will be held in six phases between April 10 and May 12.
Meanwhile, the state has emerged as the hub of all electoral and political activities in the country this time besides highly sensitive on security point.