Elections for the 403 assembly constituencies in Uttar Pradesh will be held in seven phases starting February 10, the Election Commission said today, announcing the polling dates in five states. The majority of phases will be in February, when the third wave of Covid is expected to peak.
The polling dates will be February 10, 14, 20, 23, 27, March 3 and 7. The counting of votes will take place on March 10, the Election Commission said.
To ensure safety, the Election Commission has banned all physical rallies and meetings till January 15, saying the decision will be reviewed after that in view of the "dynamic" ground situation.
The Commission also expressed hope that the vaccination programme in the poll-bound states can be ramped up by then.
For Uttar Pradesh, which bore the brunt of the second wave of Covid last year, that is a tough ask.
While 90 per cent people in the state have received their first vaccine dose, only 52 per cent people have received their second dose. Reaching the critical 90 per cent double vaccination figure within a month is seen as a tough challenge in the country's largest and most populous state.
The battle for Uttar Pradesh will be multi-cornered, where the BJP is pushing for a second term in power. The party, which won 312 seats in 2017, is hoping to up the figure amid anti-incumbency and criticism of the Yogi Adityanath government over its handling of the second wave of Covid last year.
The BJP's big challenger will be the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party, which has built a network with smaller parties to capture niche voters. The SP leader, whose rallies have been drawing increasingly bigger crowds, has formed tie-ups with Janwadi Party (Socialist), Om Prakash Rajbhar's SBSP, Keshav Dev Maurya's Mahan Dal, the Apna Dal faction led by Krishna Patel and Jayant Chowdhury's Rashtriya Lok Dal.
The Congress is also in the running, and is expected to divide the Muslim voter base of the Samajwadi Party.
In a first, Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party – out to expand its footprint outside Delhi and Punjab -- is contesting all seats.
"We welcome the festival of democracy," Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath tweeted after the Election Commission's announcement. "With the blessings of the people and on the basis of the double engine government's achievements, the BJP will form its government with an overwhelming majority," he posted in Hindi.
Samajwadi chief Akhilesh Yadav also welcomed the announcement. "Revolution will happen on 10th March. Uttar Pradesh will change," he tweeted.
"People in Uttar Pradesh are set to bid farewell to the BJP government. These dates will mark a huge change in the state. Rules will be followed by Samajwadi Party, but the Election Commission should make sure the ruling party follows these guidelines," Mr Yadav was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
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