UP Polls 2022: All about your key Mathura candidates, which has gone into polls in first phase

One of the key constituencies that are going to polls today include Mathura, where a keenly-fought battle is very much on the cards

Lucknow: The first phase of the seven-phase Uttar Pradesh 2022 elections began today (February 10). Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath urged voters to cast their votes to strengthen the resolution of the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) for a "crime-free, fear-free, riot-free" state, while Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also made an appeal to the voters. He tweeted in Hindi, saying: "Come out and vote, get country freedom from all fear". The tone for the poll was set by PM Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah who urged the voters to exercise their franchise.

The voting in the 'Jat-dominant belt' of the western part of the state started at 7 am and will conclude at 6 pm. One of the key constituencies that are seeing polling today is Mathura. Here are the key candidates:

UP Polls 2022: Mathura - key candidates

Shrikant Sharma, BJP

BJP's Shrikant Sharma represents the Mathura seat in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly. Sharma's focus, while campaigning has been to highlight the achievements of the double-engine Narendra Modi-Yogi Adityanath sarkar. In 2017, Sharma - who is now a member of the Yogi cabinet - had won the seat by defeating Pradeep Mathur from Indian National Congress by over a lakh vote margin. This year, Sharma is pitted against Congress' Pradeep Mathur and Samajwadi Party's Devendra Agarwal.

Pradeep Mathur, Congress

Pradeep Mathur is a veteran four-times MLA, who will be looking to reverse last election's results. In January, he suffered from multiple fractures in his left arm and while he was advised surgery, it would have taken time to heal. Now, Mathur will get the operation done post the poll today. Mathur was elected from Mathura from the first time in 1985 and represented the seat for three consecutive terms - 2002, 2007 and 2012. 

Devendra Agarwal, SP-RLD

Devendra Agrawal is the Samajwadi Party-Rashtriya Lok Dal candidate from the Mathura Vidhan Sabha constituency. In the 2017 Assembly elections, he contested from the Sadabad seat. 

SK Sharma, BSP

BSP candidate SK Sharma has once been in the BJP. Sharma had contested the 2017 Assembly elections on the BJP ticket from Mant constituency. Pained over the denial of ticket for the 2022 Assembly polls, the senior leader resigned from the primary membership of the party and joined the Bahujan Samaj Party.