UP gears up for fifth phase of polls

Lucknow, Feb 22: Polling for the fifth phase of UP Assembly election covering 49 seats spread over 13 districts would be held on Thursday that would decide the fate of several stalwarts, including firebrand BJP leader Uma Bharati.

More than 1.56 crore voters would seal the fate of 829 candidates in Firozabad, Kanshiram Nagar, Etah, Mainpuri, Etawah, Auraiya, Ramabainagar, Kanpur, Jalaun, Jhansi, Lalitpur, Hamirpur and Mahoba districts.

The fifth phase would cover assembly seats in backward Bundelkhand region, bastions of SP and former chief minister Kalyan Singh. Polling would be held at 16781 booths at 11745 polling stations where 18459 electronic voting machines would be used.

In this phase, Leader of Opposition in the state assembly Shivpal Singh is seeking re-election from Jaswantnagar seat in Etawah district in this phase. Fate of firebrand leader Uma Bharati, who is making her debut in UP electoral politics, would be put to test from Charkhari seat in Mahoba district.

Charisma and political strength of former BJP stalwart and UP chief minister Kalyan Singh would also be tested in this phase when elections would be held in his stronghold of Etah.

While former minister and state president of BJP's women wing Premlata Katiyar is in the fray from Kalyanpur seat in Kanpur, a minister in BSP government Jaiveer Singh is contesting from Karhal seat.

Among kin of political leaders, daughter of BSP state president and cabinet minister Swami Prasad Maurya, Sanghmitra Gautam is contesting from Aliganj seat in Etah district. Similarly, Shikha Mishra, wife of former health minister Anant Kumar Mishra alias Antu Mishra, who resigned following the NRHM scam, is in the fray from Maharajpur seat in Kanpur district.

A relative of SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, Urmila Yadav would be contesting from Karhal seat in Mainpuri as a Congress nominee, after being denied ticket by the party.

PTI