UP polls phase 7: 54 seats across 9 districts set to vote tomorrow, parties give final push

A total of 54 seats in the districts of Mirzapur, Azamgarh, Bhadohi, Chandauli, Ghazipur, Jaunpur, Mau, Sonbhadra and Varanasi will go to the polls in this phase on March 7.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath addressed five public meetings, the highest by a BJP leader, in Azamgarh, Sonbhadra and Bhadohi districts. His rival and Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav addressed eight back-to-back rallies across 16 assembly constituencies that fall in Mirzapur, Jaunpur and Azamgarh districts.

Akhilesh is MP from the Azamgarh Lok Sabha constituency, which is considered an SP stronghold with dominance of Yadavs and Muslims. Even in 2017 when the BJP swept the polls, the SP had won five of a total of 10 seats in the district.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a rally in his Lok Sabha constituency a day after holding a roadshow in the city.

ongress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra during a roadshow in Jaunpur on Saturday. PTI

Also, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP national president JP Nadda addressed rallies in Malhani and Bhadohi. Besides, Union Ministers Smriti Irani and Anurag Thakur addressed a joint rally in the Chunar constituency of Mirzapur district. Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya addressed rallies in Chandauli, Mau and Jaunpur.

Congress national general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who led her party’s campaign in the current elections, led a roadshow and a door-to-door campaign in Jaunpur. Later, she addressed a rally in Jakhanian segment in Ghazipur district.

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati held no rally either on Saturday or a day before. Her confidant and party general secretary SC Misra addressed two rallies in Duddhi and Obra seats (both ST reserved) in Sonbhadra district.

The counting of votes of all the phases in UP and other four states will take place on March 10.