First phase of UP Assembly polls today

Elections start tomorrow to the 403-seat legislative assembly of Uttar Pradesh, the most politically significant state, with 55 constituencies in the first of the seven-phase poll in the state.

Beside being decisive for regional satraps such as chief minister Mayawati and her Bahujan Samaj Party and Mulayam Singh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party, it will also be a test for Congress scion Rahul Gandhi, who has been scouring the state for two years in a bid to revive the party here.

The 10 districts going to the polls tomorrow have generally seen a tussle between the BSP and the SP, with the former getting 30 of the 55 in 2007. The polls will seal the fate of 31 sitting MLAs and 15 former ministers. The 17-million electorate in this phase will decide the fate of 862 candidates.

The Congress had got only three seats in 2007 from this area. However, it was the surprising performance in the Lok Sabha polls of 2009 which has bolstered its confidence in this region — it got five MPs elected from these seats.

This first phase will also be watched for the calculation that Congress import Beni Prasad Verma, now Union steel minister, would bring in the Kurmi vote. He was previously with the SP and brought in with this main aim. However, his ongoing tussle with party Dalit leader P L Punia, an MP, could cost the party. In fact, there were reports of discontent on distribution of party nominations, as Verma had held sway over these here. His own son, Rakesh Verma, is contesting (from Dariyabad in Barabanki).

While Verma’s prestige would be at stake in Gonda, in the seven assembly constituencies of his parliamentary area, Punia, MP from Barabanki, will have to ensure his influence prevails over the six constituencies in his area. Also, Congress MP Jagdambika Pal’s son, Abhishek Pal, is contesting from Basti Sadar.

There are 12 scheduled caste seats in this phase and the Congress has attempted to focus on bagging the 85 reserved seats in these state polls, making Punia, also head of the National Commission on Scheduled Castes, supervise these.