Assembly Elections 2022: Direct fight between BJP, SP in Varanasi, Azamgarh as UP votes in 7th phase

While the saffron party hopes to continue its dominance in PM Modi's home constituency Varanasi, the Akhilesh Yadav-led SP has left no stone unturned to win its stronghold constituency Azamgarh.

New Delhi: As voting is underway in Uttar Pradesh for the last and seventh phase of Assembly elections on Monday (March 7, 2022), the direct fight is between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Samajwadi Party (SP) in Varanasi and Azamgarh districts.

While the saffron party hopes to continue its dominance in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home constituency Varanasi, the Akhilesh Yadav-led SP has left no stone unturned to win its stronghold constituency Azamgarh.

Varanasi

With Varanasi being the home constituency of PM Modi, BJP has exceptional influence in the district. The party had won all the eight assembly constituencies in the district in the 2017 polls namely Pindra, Ajagara, Shivpur, Rohaniya, Varanasi North, Varanasi South, Varanasi Cantt, and Sevapur.

While in Varanasi South, BJP has fielded state minister Neelkanth Tiwari against SP's Kishan Dixit. Dixit is the Mahant of Mahaamrtyunjay temple and as the two candidates hail from the Brahmin caste, there is most likely to be a close contest.

Two more ministers from the Yogi Adityanath government are also contesting in the seventh phase. While Anil Rajbhar is fighting from the Shivpur Assembly constituency, Ravindra Jaiswal is running for reelection from Varanasi North.

Azamgarh

The Azamgarh district, which is dominated by Yadavs and Muslims, has traditionally been a Samajwadi Party stronghold and the party had managed to bag half of the 10 seats in the district in 2017. Azamgarh, notably, was the biggest challenge for BJP in the 2017 election as it could only get one seat.

BJP has pitted Akhilesh Mishra against SP's Durga Prasad Yadav in Azamgarh. Yadav has dominated the Azamgarh seat since 1985.

Apart from Varanasi and Azamgarh, Mau, Jaunpur, Ghazipur, Chandauli, Mirzapur, Bhadohi and Sonbhadra are also going to the polls in the last phase.

As many as 2.06 crore eligible voters will seal the fate of 613 candidates contesting for 54 seats. The counting of votes will take place on March 10.

Of the 54 assembly seats spread across nine districts, where voting is being held in this phase, the BJP had won 29 seats in the 2017 assembly elections, and seven by its allies, while the SP bagged 11 seats and six were won by the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). Congress won three seats and five were taken by other parties.

(With agency inputs)