Voting for the Lok Sabha elections ended on Saturday. Important states like Uttar Pradesh are one of the focuses. The results in UP will be crucial for the “400 cross” target set by the BJP for the NDA’s return. But the ruling alliance appears to be in a tough fight in at least 27 constituencies in west, central and east UP, 20 of which are among the 64 seats the NDA won in 2019. Reasons for this include local sentiments against sitting MPs, caste equations and the choice of candidates of the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party bloc.
The 20 constituencies that the NDA currently has and where it is facing a tough fight from the All India faction are: Ayodhya, Chandauli, Bansgaon, Kheri, Pratapgarh, Kairana, Aligarh, Fatehpur Sikri, Firozabad, Pilibhit, Mohanlalganj, Amethi, Kannauj, Kaushambi, Allahabad, Barabanki, Basti, Sant Kabir Nagar, Azamgarh and Badaun. Of these constituencies, the ruling alliance changed its candidates in Pilibhit, Barabanki, Firozabad, Allahabad, Robertsganj and Badaun. According to local BJP leaders, candidates in constituencies like Ayodhya, Amethi, Kheri, Azamgarh, Kaushambi, Fatehpur Sikri and Pratapgarh have also had to deal with their own workers.
State BJP spokesperson Rakesh Tripathi said, “We have a tough fight in about 11 seats like Kannauj, Azamgarh, Badaun, Ghazipur and Ghosi, but we will emerge victorious. The picture will become clear after three to four rounds of counting (on the result day). The most common complaint against most of these MPs is that they do not appear in their constituency as much as voters and workers wanted or do not step out of the district headquarters and meet only the local administration. Some BJP leaders complained that often the party’s district officials do not get time to meet the MPs and their representatives do not pay heed to problems and complaints.
