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‘UP mein Baba’: BJP begins celebrations

BJP workers were seen holding party flags playing Holi at the party office in Lucknow. They were raising slogans “UP mein ka ba? UP mein Baba”….reports Asian Lite News

Celebrations kicked off at the Bharatiya Janata Party office in Lucknow as State Assembly polls counting indicated that BJP is set to retain power in Uttar Pradesh with the party crossing the majority mark of 202 seats as per the Election Commission of India.

BJP workers were seen holding party flags playing Holi at the party office in Lucknow. They were raising slogans “UP mein ka ba? UP mein Baba”.

In addition, Gorakhpur MP and BJP leader Ravi Kishan distributed sweets as the early trends indicated a sweep for the party in Uttar Pradesh. “Modi Ji has always asked party workers and ministers should always work on the ground level and has brought us this win. This is the beginning of Ram Rajya,” he said.

According to early trends, BJP is leading on 247 seats in UP followed by Samajwadi Party on 111 seats.

UP BJP President Swatantra Dev Singh also said that people have rejected dynastic politics, and voted for the development.

“People have rejected dynastic politics and voted for development. We never thought that BSP will do so poorly. Samajwadi Party had also fought cleverly. I just want to say that political parties will have to work on the ground for the public,” Singh told ANI.

Samajwadi Party candidate Azam Khan is leading from Rampur constituency and Swami Prasad Maurya who is contesting UP Polls as Samajwadi Party candidate is trailing from Fazilnagar assembly seat.

On the other hand, OP Rajbhar of Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party is leading from BJP’s Kalicharan on Zahoorabad constituency, according to ECI.

Counting of votes began at 8 am and will continue till the final results. (ANI)

ALSO READ: BJP, AAP script history in UP, Punjab

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BJP, AAP script history in UP, Punjab

BJP, AAP script history in UP, Punjab

As per the early trends in UP, the saffron party was leading on 155 seats and AAP ahead with 90 seats in Punjab, reports Asian Lite News

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Aam Aadmi Party are set to script history in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab respectively. Chief minister Yogi Adityanath became the first BJP chief minister of the state to be elected for a second term in the country’s largest and most populous state.

As per the early trends in Uttar Pradesh, the saffron party was leading on 155 seats while Samajwadi Party was ahead on 97. The Bahujan Samaj Party didn’t seem to woo the voters, as it was leading on only 6 seats. The Congress party continued to show its dismal performance and was leading on only 4 seats.

The Assembly polls for 403 seats spread over 75 districts were held in seven phases between February 10 and March 7. More than 3.75 lakh voters exercised their franchise using ballot papers. The state’s Chief Electoral Officer Ajay Kumar Shukla said that 84 counting centres had been set up across Uttar Pradesh.

AAP sweep in Punjab

In Punjab, the multi-cornered electoral battle is probably heading for a comfortable victory for the AAP as the early trends gave an edge to the Bhagwant Mann-led party over the ruling Congress. The Shiromani Akali Dal was coming as the third party.

The exit polls had predicted a landslide victory for the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab. A total of 1,304 candidates, including 93 women and two transgenders, are in the fray. The state recorded a voter turnout of 71.95 per cent, the lowest percentage compared to the voting percentage in three previous Assembly polls.

Prominent faces who were trailing in the first two hours of counting of ballots included five-time former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal from his bastion Lambi; Congress chief ministerial candidate and incumbent Charanjit Singh Channi on both seats — Chamkaur Sahib, a reserved seat that he has won three consecutive times, and Bhadaur in Barnala district; and Congress state unit chief Navjot Sidhu from Amritsar (East), the seat that came into being after 2012 delimitation and has backed Sidhu and his namesake wife — Navjot Kaur.

Congress rebel Capt Amarinder Singh, whose fledgling Punjab Lok Congress (PLC) is contesting the polls in alliance with the BJP and SAD (Sanyukt), is trailing from his ‘royal’ bastion Patiala (Urban).

AAP’s chief ministerial face and sitting MP Bhagwant Mann is leading from Dhuri, the seat from where he’s trying luck for the first time.

Sanyukt Samaj Morcha chief and its chief ministerial face Balbir Singh Rajewal is also trailing in Samrala. AAP’s first-timer Jagtar Singh is leading on that seat.

Counting for the 117 Assembly constituencies started at 8 a.m. Postal ballots were counted first.

A three-tier security system has been put in place.

The polls for the 117 Assembly constituencies were held on February 20 and a total 1,54,69,618 voters exercised their right to franchise.

The election results can be obtained from the official website of CEO Punjab — ceopunjab.gov.in or results.eci.gov.in. Also, results can also be obtained from voter helpline mobile application.

As per exit polls, the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP is emerging as a major contender, while the Congress is struggling hard to retain power.

In the 2017 elections, the Congress had won an absolute majority by winning 77 seats in the 117-member assembly and ousted the SAD-BJP government after 10 years.

The AAP had emerged as the second-largest party, winning 20 seats.

SAD won 15 seats, while the BJP, which had a coalition government with the Akali Dal in Punjab from 2007 to 2017, secured three seats.

Goa set for close finish

In Goa, the exit polls had tipped a keen contest between the ruling BJP and the Congress and Goa Forward alliance, with neither being able to reach the magic figure of 21 in a 40-member state Assembly. However, the trends showed the grand-old party — Congress — ahead of its arch-rival BJP while the much-hyped AAP, as per the early trends, didn’t seem to impress the electorate at all as it was not leading on any seat.

Nearly 79 per cent voters cast ballots in the February 14 polls in Goa.

ALSO READ: AAP scoops Punjab

BJP landslide in Manipur

In Manipur, as per the early trends, the saffron party is heading for a landslide victory. According to the election officials, around 89.3 per cent of the 20,48,169-strong electorate cast their votes in the two-phase election to the 60-member Manipur Assembly on February 28 and March 5. This year’s voting percentage was higher than the 2017 and 2012 Assembly elections, when 86.4 per cent and 79.5 per cent electorate had exercised their franchise respectively.

In Uttarakhand, even as the BJP is leading in the early trends, it is still hard to predict the results as the Congress party is not much behind. The new-entrant AAP, like Goa, has failed to make any impact on the voters so far.

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India News Uttar Pradesh

UP has four Akhilesh Yadavs contesting in fourth phase

The three namesakes of the SP president are now waiting to see whether their luck matches Akhilesh Yadav’s luck when counting is held on March 10…reports Asian Lite News

What does a Congress candidate from Bikapur in Ayodhya, an independent from Gunnaur in Sambhal, Samajwadi Party candidates from Mubarakpur in Azamgarh and Karhal in Mainpuri have in common — they are all Akhilesh Yadavs.

While SP president Akhilesh Yadav is contesting from Karhal and is being seen as a chief ministerial candidate, his namesakes are also basking in reflected glory.

“I am getting good support in my constituency. People feel sympathetic towards me. I had lost the 2017 polls by a very thin margin. But now, they want Akhilesh Yadav to win. People say that one Akhilesh Yadav will be chief minister and Akhilesh Yadav should also be Mubarakpur’s MLA,” said Akhilesh Yadav from Mubarakpur.

When his name was announced from Mubarakpur, many thought that the SP president was contesting form two seats — Karhal and Mubarakpur.

Mubarakpur in Azamgarh district goes to polls in the seventh phase on March 7.

Congress candidate from Bikapur and the party’s Ayodhya district president Akhilesh Yadav said he joined the Congress in 2016 after moving out of the SP as he was not given respect.

He said, “A few days back, I was campaigning with my supporters in Bikapur. One of my supporters shouted ‘Akhilesh bhaiyya zindabaad’. This prompted some SP supporters, who were in the vicinity to raise slogans in my support.”

Later, they realised that they are actually raising slogans in favour of a Congress candidate, Yadav said.

“Some people also wonder how come the ‘haath kaa panjaa’ (Congress’ poll symbol) has become the SP election symbol,” Yadav said.

Independent candidate Akhilesh Yadav is testing the poll waters from Gunnaur in Sambhal district, which has already gone to polls. He said that though he was born with the name Lakhvendra Singh, his grandmother used to call him ‘Akhilesh’, and gradually others also started calling him by that name. “Akhilesh Yadav (the SP chief) is everything for us. Samajwadi (socialism) flows in our blood and it is in our genes. My father Ram Khiladi Singh is SP candidate,” he said.

The three namesakes of the SP president are now waiting to see whether their luck matches Akhilesh Yadav’s luck when counting is held on March 10.

ALSO READ: Hate speech: EC slaps 24-hr ban on BJP lawmaker

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The ‘armed’ candidates in Uttar Pradesh

BJP MLA from Malihabad, Jai Devi, wife of Union Minister of State Kaushal Kishore, has one pistol, while her son also has a pistol…reports Asian Lite News

More and more politicians are now displaying their love for firearms. Scrutiny of affidavits filed by candidates in Lucknow and Prayagraj reveals their penchant for weapons.

Former joint director of Enforcement Directorate (ED), Rajeshwar Singh, 48, who is now the BJP candidate from Sarojini Nagar assembly segment, owns a pistol and a rifle, while his wife, IG Laxmi Singh, also has a rifle, besides a pistol gifted by the Ministry of Home Affairs for being best probationer in 2000.

Sushila Saroj, 71, the Samajwadi Party candidate from Mohanlalganj, has a double-barrel gun, one rifle and a pistol purchased from MP quota. Her husband, Ram Prakash Saroj, also owns a double barrel, a revolver and a carbine.

BJP MLA from Malihabad, Jai Devi, wife of Union Minister of State Kaushal Kishore, has one pistol, while her son also has a pistol.

In Prayagraj, Apna Dal (S) candidate from Pratappur seat Rakesh Dhar Tripathi owns a rifle and a revolver worth Rs 2 lakh, while SP candidate from Pratappur, Vijama Yadav, also has a rifle worth Rs two lakh and a double-barrel rifle worth Rs 40,000.

Similarly, the BJP candidate from Allahabad South and UP Cabinet Minister Nand Gopal Gupta ‘Nandi’ owns a rifle, a pistol and a gun worth Rs 3 lakh. His wife and Prayagraj mayor, Abhilasha Gupta Nandi, also own a rifle, a pistol and a gun worth Rs 3 lakh.

Congress candidate from Allahabad North and four-time MLA, Anugrah Narain Singh, owns a revolver worth Rs 50,000 and a Mauser pistol worth Rs 40,000. His wife Gita Singh owns a .25 bore pistol and a .22 bore rifle costing Rs 27,700 each.

BJP MLA and candidate from Allahabad North seat Harsh Vardhan Bajpai also has a 9mm pistol costing Rs 2 lakh, and a single-barrel 12 bore rifle worth Rs 1 lakh.

BSP candidate from Allahabad South, Devendra Mishra Nagarha too has a revolver and double-barrel rifle, while Raish Chandra Shukla of SP, fighting elections from the same seat, has a revolver.

BSP candidate from Koraon assembly seat, Rajbali Jaisal and Congress candidate from the same seat, Ram Kripal have three weapons each. They have a revolver, a rifle and a double-barrel gun.

Apna Dal (S) candidate from Bara, Vachaspati, also has a double-barrel gun, a rifle and a revolver. His wife, too, has a pistol.

ALSO READ-UP POLLS: 35.03% voting recorded till 1.00 pm

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India News Uttar Pradesh

AAP mulls post-poll alliance to oust BJP in UP

Kejriwal began his two-day Uttar Pradesh tour from Monday to drum up support for party candidates in the ongoing Assembly polls…reports Asian Lite News

Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor, Arvind Kejriwal, has said if there is a hung Assembly in Uttar Pradesh, then AAP will enter into a post-poll alliance to keep the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) out of power in the state.

“All surveys are indicating a hung Assembly in the state. In such a situation, we will form an alliance to keep the BJP out of the government, if needed. We will fulfil promises of free 24-hour electricity, better schools and hospitals even by supporting other party against BJP in case of hung assembly,” Kejriwal, who is on a two-day campaign tour in Uttar Pradesh, told reporters.

Kejriwal began his two-day Uttar Pradesh tour from Monday to drum up support for party candidates in the ongoing Assembly polls.

He said that if people of UP want Delhi-like government, schools and hospitals, then they all must vote for the AAP without worrying how many seats it will win the election.


The Delhi chief minister also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra of calling him a “terrorist”.

“Despite ruling the country for years, these parties did not have a single concrete work to talk about and that is why, they are calling me a terrorist. Tell me, if any terrorist has built schools/hospitals in the world? Does any terrorist arrange pilgrimages for elders?” he asked.

He further said, “The BJP conducted raids at my house and office with help of all agencies but they did not get anything. When I asked what was found at my house, I was told nothing. When I asked why the raids were conducted then I was told that some poet lives in Ghaziabad who said I am a terrorist. I came in his dream and told him seven years ago that I would divide India into two parts and become the prime minister of one,” he said.

“I request the Prime Minister to do away with agencies like RAW, CBI, ED and keep that poet instead. He will tell who is a terrorist and who is not,” said Kejriwal.

He further said, “Terrorists are of two types. One who scares the public and the other who scares the corrupt. Kejriwal is the terrorist who scares the corrupt.”

In a lighter vein, he said, “When someone commits corruption for 100 miles, mother says just sleep, otherwise Kejriwal will come,” he said referring to a dialogue from popular Bollywood film ‘Sholay’.

Attacking opposition parties, Kejriwal said, “Both the BJP and the Congress have been wiped out from Delhi. If given a chance, all other parties will be wiped out from here too,” he added.

The AAP leader cited Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech and said, “The Prime Minister said those who ride bicycle are terrorists. This is an insult to bicycle riders. When you vote, tell them it’s the BJP people who are terrorists, not the ones who ride bicycles.”

ALSO READ: Road to power in UP goes through reserved seats

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India News Uttar Pradesh

Jailed lawmaker Mukhtar not to contest, hands over baton to son

Mukhtar Ansari, currently lodged in Banda jail, is a five-term MLA and has been representing the Mau Sadar seat since 1996….reports Asian Lite News

Jailed mafia don-and-MLA Mukhtar Ansari’s is now unlikely to contest the ongoing Assembly elections.

His son Abbas Ansari has filed his nomination papers from the Mau Sadar assembly constituency in eastern Uttar Pradesh as a candidate of the Suheldev Bhartaiya Samaj Party (SBSP), an ally of the Samajwadi Party (SP).

Mukhtar Ansari, currently lodged in Banda jail, is a five-term MLA and has been representing the Mau Sadar seat since 1996.

Mau will go to polls in the seventh and last phase on March 7.

After filing his nomination, Abbas Ansari said, “My father is a five-time MLA from Mau Sadar. He will not contest the election this time. It is a son’s duty to carry forward the legacy of his father. Mau is my ‘karmabhoomi’ and I will carry forward my father’s political legacy. I will leave no stone unturned for it.”

Asked why Mukhtar decided not to contest, Abbas Ansari claimed “democracy is under threat today”.

He further said that a conspiracy was being hatched so that his father could not file his nomination. “In such a situation, he has handed over his legacy to me,” Abbas Ansari said.

Mukhtar Ansari’s lawyer Daroga Singh said, “He (Mukhtar) has handed over his political legacy to his son Abbas Ansari. Abbas filed his nomination as the SBSP candidate from the Mau Sadar Assembly seat, which Mukhtar won five times consecutively. Now, Abbas will be in electoral politics.”

This time, the BJP has fielded Ashok Singh, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has fielded its state president Bhim Rajbhar and the Congress candidate is Madhavendra Bahadur Singh from Mau Sadar, which has been a bastion of Mukhtar Ansari, who first won the seat in 1996 as a BSP candidate.

Mukhtar Ansari retained the seat as an independent in 2002 and 2007, and as a Quami Ekta Dal candidate in 2012. In 2017, he won the seat on the BSP ticket.

Abbas Ansari had contested the 2017 assembly election from Ghosi as a BSP candidate and finished second to the BJP’s Phagu Chauhan.

ALSO READ: BJP expert in spreading communalism, says Chhattisgarh CM

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BJP’s sun will start setting: Akhilesh

The SP resident is contesting from Karhal in Mainpuri district and is being challenged by Union minister S.P. Singh Baghel….reports Asian Lite News

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has said that the BJP’s sun will start setting with the polling in western Uttar Pradesh during the first phase of the elections.

“The BJP’s sun will disappear forever when polling takes place in the third phase in Karhal,” he said.

The SP resident is contesting from Karhal in Mainpuri district and is being challenged by Union minister S.P. Singh Baghel.

Addressing a meeting in Karhal on Sunday evening, Akhilesh said, “I want a historical defeat of the BJP in the state from here.”

He appealed to the public to be his campaigner and garner votes for him, as he would be busy campaigning for party candidates across the state.

“The Karhal Assembly constituency and Mainpuri Lok Sabha will set an example of development if SP is voted to power,” Akhilesh assured the people.

He said that a modern technical institute will be built in Karhal to provide employment to youth and connect them to the nation. Besides, 22 lakh jobs will be provided in the IT sector alone, he said.

“Netaji’s (Mulayam Singh Yadav) relations with Karhal’s population are from his days of wrestling and I expect the same affection and love from here,” he said.

ASP post-poll alliance with SP

Chandra Shekhar Azad, the Bhim Army chief and the Azad Samaj Party (ASP) candidate from Gorakhpur, has said that though he is disappointed with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and BSP chief Mayawati, he is still open to post-poll alliances with them because his main objective is to prevent BJP from returning to power.

Chandra Shekhar told reporters that he made an effort to approach Akhilesh to stop BJP from winning.

“I respect Akhilesh Yadav but I cannot see people from other castes and religions suffering. He cheated me but I re-emerged as a stronger person and set up our andolan. I tied up with other smaller parties and formed the Samajik Parivartan Morcha. Why should people even vote for the Opposition parties? Have they fought for people or protected them from BJP’s dictatorship? Akhilesh is saying that if elected, he will restore the old pension scheme but why didn’t he do it when he was the chief minister from 2012 to 2017? However, we will see what happens after the elections and will do whatever is needed to stop BJP from coming to power.”

Asked whether he was positioning himself as a Dalit leader, Chandra Shekhar said, “I am projected as a Dalit leader but I am working towards ‘bahujan ekta’. I have fought for various issues like NEET quota, census for the OBC, CAA and NRC. I have set up youth leadership and given the poor an opportunity to work. Leaders like Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati are more concerned about their own politics than people. What did Mayawati do for Dalits over the past five years? Holding rallies and asking for votes is not her only job. She should be standing with Dalits. I respect her but I cannot leave the Dalit samaj to die at BSP’s hands.”

On his contesting against chief minister Yogi Adityanath, Chandra Shekhar said that, “Yogi Adityanath was never a frontrunner for the post of chief minister. In fact, he was not even an MLA. BJP asked for votes on the basis of OBCs but made him the chief minister. An MP from his party has openly said that Yogi misbehaved with him. His other MLAs sat in protest against him. He is a dictator and when people take a stand against dictators, even strong leaders like Indira Gandhi end up losing elections.”

The ASP leader further said that Gorakhpur should not be considered as a stronghold of one candidate or one party.

“People decide who will lead them. Look at what the chief minister has done over the past five years. The Hathras rape incident is an example of what is wrong with the state. The incident itself was horrific, followed by police action in which they deprived the family of the right to cremate their daughter. The government promised the family members a job but nothing has been given. The government says that bulldozers are being run over the property of criminals but what about those roaming free despite warrants against them because they are close to the chief minister. Yogi is not a leader of the people but of his Thakur community,” he said.

ALSO READ: Owaisi, Kejriwal sent by BJP to split votes: Congress

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India News Uttar Pradesh

Akhilesh alleges 99 BJP candidates have criminal history

The war of words between the SP and BJP has been rapidly escalating on the issue of criminals…reports Asian Lite News

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav has alleged that the BJP has, so far, fielded 99 candidates with a criminal history.

“The BJP is short of hitting a century. They have given tickets to 99 criminals,” he said in a tweet on Sunday.

The war of words between the SP and BJP has been rapidly escalating on the issue of criminals.

While the BJP has been accusing Akhilesh Yadav and his party of patronising persons with criminal backgrounds, Akhilesh has returned the fire by demanding to know the number of cases against Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and deputy Chief Minister Keshav Maurya.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has said during his tours in the state that if the SP comes to power, there will be a reign of criminals in the state.

Yogi Adityanath, meanwhile has said that when he returns to power after the Assembly elections, he would continue with his bulldozer policies against criminals.

Akhilesh to file nomination today

Akhilesh Yadav will file his nomination papers from Karhal constituency in Uttar Pradesh’s Mainpuri on Monday.

He is contesting his first Assembly elections from Mainpuri which is known as an SP stronghold.

Interestingly, the BJP has not yet declared its candidate against Akhilesh from Karhal till date.

There have been speculations that the BJP may field someone from the Yadav family – Mulayam Singh Yadav’s daughter-in-law Aparna Yadav, who recently joined the saffron party in Delhi.

However, sources close to Aparna Yadav have denied any such possibility.

Mainpuri goes to the polls in the third phase on February 20 and the last date of filing nomination is Tuesday.

Big promise to farmers

Akhilesh Yadav is trying to woo the farmers who have given a call to observe January 31 as ‘Betrayal Day’.

Akhilesh Yadav has promised to set up plants for the production of mustard oil, which he says will not only benefit the farmers, but also the common man who will get oil at a cheaper rate especially at a time when its prices have skyrocketed.

In an exclusive conversation with IANS, Yadav said, “If farmers’ organisations are coming to UP, they must be coming to teach a lesson to the BJP, because the farmers are unhappy with the government. Farmer leaders are not contesting elections, but they are coming to UP.

“We buy refined oil after watching TV ads, but we have a healthier product in mustard oil. The farmers are not getting the price of the mustard they produce. But when the same farmer is buying mustard oil from the market, he has to pay Rs 200 for a litre. After forming the government in Uttar Pradesh, the Samajwadi Party will try to make mustard oil cheaper. If we have to give subsidies or have to set up a government plant, so that mustard oil becomes available at a cheaper rate, we will do that.”

The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) has announced that it will launch Mission UP from February 3 against the BJP government. Through a statement it has called upon people to “teach the BJP a lesson as it has not punished Union Minister Ajay Mishra Teni in the Lakhimpur Kheri incident, and it has betrayed the farmers by implementing anti-farmer policies”.

“Farmers under Mission Uttar Pradesh will start a new phase from February 3. Message to punish BJP through pamphlet distribution, press conferences, social media campaigns, public meetings and other means will be delivered to the people across the state by all the organisations of the SKM,” it said.

Apart from this, on the call of the SKM, ‘Betrayal Day’ will be observed across the country on January 31, with the farmers preparing to organise large-scale protests at the district and tehsil levels.

The farmers are upset with the government for not conceding their demands, though their main demand of withdrawal of three contentious farm laws has been met.

The 403-member UP Assembly will go to the polls in seven phases between February 10 and March 7. The counting of votes will be taken up on March 10. (MOHAMMAD SUAIB KHAN contributed to the report)

ALSO READ: BJP launches ‘Voter Connect Digital Campaign’

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Suresh Khanna contesting to set a record

Khanna has been winning the seat continuously since 1989. He has held several portfolios in BJP governments and is presently the Parliamentary Affairs minister in the Yogi Adityanath government….reports Asian Lite News

Others are contesting elections to win their seats but UP minister, Suresh Khanna, is contesting elections to set a record of winning his seat for the ninth consecutive term.

Khanna has been winning the seat continuously since 1989. He has held several portfolios in BJP governments and is presently the Parliamentary Affairs minister in the Yogi Adityanath government.

He belongs to the Khatri community that comprises only 1 per cent population of the area.

If he wins his seat this time, he will equal the record of Ram Sewak of Congress, from the Jagdishpur constituency in Amethi district, who won nine consecutive times.

Khanna, 67, plunged into politics during his days at Lucknow University in 1977 where he studied law.

He contested his first assembly elections from Shahjahanpur in 1980 as a Lok Dal nominee and was defeated by Congress candidate, Nawab Sadiq Ali Khan.

Undeterred by defeat, Khanna continued to work in Shahjahanpur, and in 1985, BJP awarded him party ticket for the assembly polls.

This time he was defeated by Nawab Sikandar Ali Khan of Congress by a margin of around 4,000 votes.

In 1989, however, the tide of luck turned and he defeated Nawab Sikandar Ali. After that win, Khanna said he never looked back, winning consecutive elections.

Interestingly, the Shahjahanpur seat has roughly 37 per cent Muslim voters and from 1952 to 1989, the seat was won mostly by Muslim candidates, barring 1969 when Uma Shankar Shukla from the Bhartiya Jana Sangh was elected.

This time, Khanna has been pitted against Tanveer Khan from the SP and 32-year-old Asha worker, Poonam Pandey, from the Congress.

ALSO READ: Mayawati to launch campaign with Agra rally on Feb 2

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India News News Uttar Pradesh

9 UP ministers face challenge in first phase polls

9 UP ministers face challenge in first phase polls

The first phase of polls in Uttar Pradesh will decide the fate of nine ministers in the Yogi Adityanath government…reports Asian Lite News

This phase of polling is extremely crucial since it includes districts in western UP where candidates in several constituencies are facing hostile voters, mainly due to the farmers’ agitation.

The first minister contesting in this phase is Suresh Rana, minister for cane, from the Thana Bhawan Assembly seat in Shamli district.

Rana is known as a firebrand Hindu leader and was an accused in the Muzaffarnagar riots. He won from this seat in 2012 and then in 2017.

In 2012, he had won the seat with a razor thin margin of 265 votes but in 2017, his margin increased to over 16,000 votes.

The Yogi Adityanath government has withdrawn cases against him, but the minister faces resistance in his constituency on the issue of insufficient increase in cane MSP and pending arrears.

The second minister contesting in this phase is Atul Garg from Ghaziabad. He had defeated the BSP candidate with a margin of over 70,000 votes in 2017 and now faces the challenge of retaining his seat.

Shrikant Sharma, UP Power Minister, is also facing a crucial test in his constituency Mathura. In 2017, Sharma had defeated Pradeep Mathur of Congress with a margin of over 1.43 lakh votes.

Mathur is a three-term MLA from this seat and has been working overtime to regain his seat this time.

With Mathura now moving on to the BJP’s political agenda, the contest in this constituency is bound to be interesting.

The fourth minister in the fray in the first phase is Sandeep Singh, grandson of late Kalyan Singh.

Sandeep has been one of the few low-profile ministers in the Yogi Adityanath government and has steered clear of controversy in his tenure.

He is seeking re-election from Atrauli in Aligarh, which is considered a stronghold of the Kalyan Singh family. Kalyan Singh had won from this seat eleven times, which is a record in itself.

Anil Sharma, minister of state for environment, is seeking re-election from Shikarpur seat in Bulandshahr district. The seat is considered to be a BJP bastion and the party has won from here in the past five elections. This is Anil Sharma’s second election.

The sixth minister in the first phase of polls is Kapil Dev Agarwal from Muzaffarnagar Sadar seat. The seat has been the epicentre of farmers’ agitation and Agarwal faces a tough challenge this time.

Dinesh Khatik, who holds the flood control portfolio, was appointed minister four months ago in September 2021. He represents the Hastinapur constituency in the UP Assembly.

ALSO READ: UTTAR PRADESH: Yogi to contest from Gorakhpur

Hastinapur has a history of not repeating its representatives and this factor plays heavily on the minds of voters here. Khatik comes from an RSS background and owns brick kilns in the area.

Dr G.S. Dharmesh, social welfare minister, is seeking re-election from his Agra Cantt seat which is in the reserved category. Dr Dharmesh runs his clinic on the Agra-Gwalior highway. His main contender on this seat has been the BSP.

Another minister in the first phase is Chaudhary Laxmi Narain, minister for dairy development.

He is contesting from the Chhata Assembly seat in Mathura. He first won the election in 1996 on a Congress ricket and then went on to become minister in the Kalyan Singh government after the split in the Congress.

In 2007, he won on a BSP and then in 2017, he won on a BJP ticket. It remains to be seen whether he can break his own record and win the seat twice from the same party.