The high stakes electoral battle in Uttar Pradesh will commence with voting on February 10 for 58 seats in the western belt of the State where the BJP’s dominance since 2014 faces a challenge from a resurgent alliance of the SP and RLD. Over 2.28 crore voters will decide the fate of 623 candidates, including 73 women.
The first phase of the Assembly election in the rich sugarcane and potato belts as well as the industrial regions close to Delhi, will test the chemistry of the RLD-SP alliance, the grit of the BJP’s incumbent ‘double engine’ government and most importantly, the impact of the farmers protest.
