The election campaign for the most fiercely contested seventh and last phase of UP state assembly elections for the 40 seats spread in seven districts will come to an end on Monday and the polling will be held on March 8. Election in Alalpur seat in Ambedkarnagar district will be held on March 9. Counting of votes for all 403 seats will be held on March 11.
Of all the 40 seats, Varanasi has taken the centerstage being the lok Sabha constituency of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The BJP and the SP-Congress alliance have taken the campaign in Varanasi to feverish pitch. Akhilesh Yadav and Rahul Gandhi held a road show in Varanasi. Narendra Modi fighting the electoral battle as `do or die battle’ held two road shows and two election meetings in Varanasi. BSP president Mayawati also addressed election meeting in Varanasi.
All political parties are leaving no stone unturned to reach out to the people in the last phase of the assembly election in all 40 assembly seats of seven districts. Narendra Modi had addressed an election meeting in Mirzapur. The Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi also addressed meeting in Mirzapur while Akhilesh Yadav covered Chanduli, Sonbhadra, Mirzapir and Jaunpur.
The focus of campaign in this phase of election is on Narendra Modi. Prime Minister Modi after the road show on Saturday paid obeisance at Kashi Vishwanath temple and later at Kaal Bhairav temple. He also addressed election meetings in Varanasi and Jaunpur. On Sunday Prime Minister conducted second road show in his lok sabha constituency and also addressed election meeting. SP- Congress alliance leaders Akhilesh Yadav and Rahul Gandhi after the road show in Varanasi on Saturday paid obeisance at the Kashi Viswanath temple.
In the seventh phase, 1.41 crore electorate— 76.62 lakh males and 64.76 lakh females—are expected to exercise their franchise in 14,458 polling booths on March 8. There are 535 candidates in the fray for the last phase. Varanasi Cantonment has the highest number of 24 candidates and Kerakat seat in Jaunpur district has the lowest - six candidates.
In the 2012 Assembly polls, out of these 40 seats, 23 went to SP, 5 to BSP, 4 to BJP, 3 to Congress and 5 to others. The seven districts going to the polls in the seventh and last phase are Ghazipur, Varanasi, Jaunpur, Chandauli, Mirzapur, Bhadoi and Sonebhadra.
Seventh phase of polling would be held in the Assembly seats of Jakhanian (SC), Saidpur (SC), Ghazipur, Jangipur, Zahoorabad, Mohammadabad, Zamania, Pindra, Ajagra (SC), Shivpur, Rohaniya, Varanasi North, Varanasi South, Varanasi Cantt., Sevapuri, Mughalsarai, Sakaldiha, Saiyadraja, Chakiya (SC), Chhanbey (SC), Mirzapur, Majhawan, Chunar, Marihan, Bhadohi, Gyanpur, Aurai (SC), Ghorawal, Robertsganj, Obra (ST), Dudhhi (ST), Badlapur, Shahganj, Jaunpur, Malhani, Mungra Badshahpur, Machhalishahr (SC), Mariyahu, Zafrabad and Kerakat (SC).