BJP and SP are expected to confront one other in all of Uttar Pradesh’s seats today
Uttar Pradesh is getting ready for a violent showdown between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Samajwadi Party (SP) ahead of the pivotal third round of the Lok Sabha elections. This phase’s election campaign is significant because it represents a crucial test for the SP’s first family in the midst of growing discord over dynastic politics in the state.
The seats of Sambhal, Hathras, Agra, Fatehpur Sikri, Firozabad, Mainpuri, Etah, Badaun, Bareilly, and Aonla will be decided by popular vote in support of their fundamental and enduring causes, as highlighted by the boisterous campaign of party leaders in these areas.
A total of 1.88 crore voters, including more than 87 lakh women voters, will decide the fate of 100 candidates. Along with members of Mulayam Singh Yadav’s family, notable figures whose political futures would be sealed include Union Minister SP Singh Baghel, UP Tourism Minister Jaiveer Singh, and Minister of State for Revenue Anoop Pradhan.
The Yadav family, in particular Akhilesh Yadav’s wife Dimple Yadav, who is running to keep her Lok Sabha seat from Mainpuri, finds relevance in this phase as well. Dimple is running against Jaiveer Singh of the BJP directly.
This time, there will be fierce competition in the Firozabad seat, which has long been a bastion of the Yadav family. Akshay Yadav, the son of Ram Gopal Yadav and cousin of Akhilesh, who lost in 2019, will square off against Chaudhary Bashir of the BSP and Vishwadeep Singh of the BJP.
A triangular struggle between Parmeshwar Lal Saini of the BJP, Zia-ur-Rahman Barq of the SP, and Shauqat Ali of the BSP is taking place for the Sambhal Lok Sabha seat.
A tight race is also taking place in the Agra (SC) seat, which the BJP won in 2009, 2014, and 2019. The candidates are SP Singh Baghel, a current MP and Union minister for the BJP; Suresh Chand Kardam of the SP; and Pooja Amrohi of the BSP. Hathras is also seeing a face-to-face altercation between Jasveer Valmiki of the SP and Anoop Pradhan of the BJP.
