UP assembly election: Campaign for final phase to end tomorrow

Lucknow, Mar 5: The 'do or die' campaign for the seventh and final phase of the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, covering 40 assembly seats in seven districts, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi's constituency, will come to a close tomorrow. The polling in these seats will be held on March 8.

As the battle for Uttar Pradesh converges on the banks of the river Ganga in Varanasi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's parliamentary constituency, all eyes are on the seat as it is increasingly seen as the 'bellwether' for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Top BJP leaders and Union ministers have made a beeline to Varanasi towards the fag end of electioneering, making the poll atmosphere highly surcharged.

The saffron party, which is locked in a tight electoral battle with the SP-Congress alliance and the Mayawati-led BSP, hopes that a good performance in the eastern parts of the state will take it past the majority mark in the 403-member state Assembly. Modi is camping in Varanasi and holding roadshows, the first after such an exercise during the run up to the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

The Prime Minister almost crossed path with Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav and his ally Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, when the latter took out a joint roadshow to garner votes for the alliance.

PTI