Nominations for first phase of Lok Sabha polls in Uttar Pradesh set to start on Wednesday

The elections for the 18th Lok Sabha from Uttar Pradesh are set to begin with nominations for the first phase of the polls on April 19 in eight parliamentary constituencies. The Bahujan Samaj Party will contest alone while the Samajwadi Party has formed an alliance with the Congress.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP won 62 seats and its ally Apna Dal (Secular) two seats, decimating the SP-BSP alliance. The Congress won the lone Rae Bareli seat. The BSP won 10 seats, SP won five seats, and RLD could not win any.

Of the eight Lok Sabha seats in the first phase, BJP won Muzaffarnagar, Kairana, and Pilibhit seats in 2019. SP leader S.T. Hasan won the Moradabad seat, while Azam Khan emerged victorious from Rampur. BSP won Saharanpur, Bijnor, and Nagina seats.

The BJP hopes to win all seats in the first phase with the alliance with RLD. RLD is contesting the Bijnor seat, while BJP is contesting the remaining seven seats. Pilibhit remains a dilemma as BJP has not finalized the candidature of Varun Gandhi.

The elections will kick off on April 19, and counting of votes will take place on June 4, as announced by the Election Commission.Various political parties are gearing up for the polls as the state of Uttar Pradesh stands as a crucial battleground in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.