UP polls: BJP optimistic after PM Modi's dynamic campaign in Varanasi

With Prime Minister Narendra Modi leading a high-octane election campaign in his Parliamentary constituency Varanasi for two days, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is upbeat for the last phase of the Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh.

A total of 613 candidates are in the electoral fray for the last phase of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections for 54 constituencies slated for Monday in nine districts of Mau, Azamgarh, Jaunpur, Ghazipur, Varanasi, Chandauli, Mirzapur, Sonbhadra, and Bhadohi (Sant Ravidas Nagar).

The roadshow of PM Modi in Varanasi on Friday had pulled a massive crowd, with the BJP supporters descending on the streets of the city. PM Modi on Saturday addressed a large number of voters in Varanasi, which is going to the polls in the last phase of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.

PM Modi, who camped in Varanasi for two days, visited Varanasi Cantonment Railway Station on Friday night and also interacted with shopkeepers there. On the same day, he also had a brief stopover at a tea stall in Varanasi. He also tried his hand at 'damru (drum)' at Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi, where he also offered prayers.

In the run-up to the elections, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav also addressed rallies in the BJP's strong turf in Varanasi.

Voting will begin from 7.00 am and will continue till 6.00 pm.

The month-long campaigning for the seven-phase state polls came to an on the evening of March 5.

Polling in the last phase will also be held in Varanasi, the Parliamentary constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Prime Minister had also held an interaction with people from various backgrounds at "prabudh sammelan (intellectual meeting)".

The polling will decide the electoral fate of some of the key ministers in the Yogi Adityanath government, which include the likes of Anil Rajbhar (Shivpur), Ravindra Jaiswal (Varanasi North), Neelkanth Tiwari (Varanasi South) and Rama Shankar Singh Patel (Madihan).

Arvind Rajbhar of Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party is up against Transport Minister Anil Rajbhar in the Shivpur Assembly seat.

Former minister Dara Singh Chauhan, who had joined Samajwadi Party after leaving BJP, is in the fray from Ghosi seat of the Mau district.

Alka Rai, the sitting legislator and wife of the former BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai, is in the fray from Mohammadabad seat of Ghazipur district.

Former BJP MP Krishna Pratap Singh is contesting on the Malhni seat of Jaunpur. Lucky Yadav is Samajwadi Party candidate from the seat.

On Mau Sadar seat, don-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari's son Abbas Ansari is contesting on the SP ticket. In Shahganj in the Jaunpur district, the Samajwadi Party has fielded sitting MLA Shailendra Yadav Lalai.

The counting of votes will take place on March 10.

(ANI)

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