Uttar Pradesh elections 2017: Phase six today – 49 seats up for grabs

Out of these 49 seats, BJP had won seven in the 2012 state polls. (Image for representational purposes)

WITH 49 constituencies of seven districts of eastern UP going to polls on Saturday, fate of several leaders will be at stake — from jailed don Mukhtar Ansari and son Abbas in Mau to ministers Durga Prasad Yadav and Ram Govind Chaudhary in Azamgarh and Ballia; turncoats Narad Rai and Ambika Chaudhary — contesting as BSP candidates — and former BSP leader Swami Prasad Maurya, contesting on a BJP ticket from Padrauna. Prestige of Gorakhpur BJP MP Yogi Adityanath is also at stake with seven constituencies in the district, along with some in neighbouring districts — where the leader’s outfit Hindu Yuva Vahini has considerable influence — set to vote. Out of these 49 seats, BJP had won seven in the 2012 state polls. Three were in Gorakhpur alone.

The Congress, meanwhile, is contesting only nine out of the 49 seats, leaving most for alliance partner SP. It had won just four out of these 49 seats in 2012.

The only challenge for Congress is to be retain some of the seats it had won in 2012 — like Tamukhi Raj in Kushinagar and Rudrapur in Deoria. Its former MP, Kamal Kishor, is trying his luck this time form Khajani reserved seat in Gorakhpur, which BJP had won in 2012.

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But there is much at stake for SP, which had won 27 of these 49 seats in 2012. Many of its leaders have left the party to contest on different symbols, such as former ministers Ambika Chaudhary and Narad Rai.

Mukhtar and his family members, who are also contesting as BSP nominees, have openly sought vengeance against Akhilesh for his snub to QED’s merger with SP.

In a recent rally, Akhilesh had to clarify that his fight was with BSP chief Mayawati and he was not angry with the Ansari brothers.

The districts going to polls on Saturday are Mau, Gorakhpur, Maharajganj, Kushinagar, Deoria, Azamgarh and Ballia.