Stage set for polling in 10 LS seats of Uttar Pradesh tomorrow

The electoral fortunes of 146 rpt 146 candidates will be decided in 10 Lok Sabha seats in politically important state of Uttar Pradesh tomorrow.
Muzaffarnagar riots have changed the political equations of the area dominated by Jats and Muslims which form 15 to 40 per cent of the populace, with political parties also fielding riot accused as their candidates.
Ten of the total 80 constituencies are Muzaffarnagar, Saharanpur, Kairana, Aligarh, Bijnor, Meerut, Baghpat, Ghaziabad, Gautambudh Nagar and Bulandshahar.
A total of 146 candidates are in the fray including 14 women in this phase on which 8,435 polling centres and 16,913 polling stations are being made, Chief Electoral Officer Umesh Sinha said.

While maximum number of 24 candidates are in the fray from Ghaziabad this time, Bulandshahr has minimum of 10 candidates in the poll fight.
A total of 1.74 crore voters -- 95.96 lakh men and 78.37 lakh women -- are eligible to exercise their franchise in this phase, he said.

While maximum number of 23.57 lakh voters are in Ghaziabad, Baghpat has minimum of 15.05 lakh voters.
There are a total 3,656 critical polling centres, where CPMF have been deployed in appropriate numbers, he said, adding that besides them 36,698 policemen and 39,276 home guards have also been deployed for free and fair polls.

With Narendra Modi aide Amit Shah's controversial "revenge" remarks in Muzaffarnagar having stirred a controversy, significance is being attached to polling in these ten constituencies.
During the canvassing, riots in the region remained the talking point, with politicians blaming each other in an bid to polarise votes in their favour.
Inflammatory remarks by Congress candidate Imran Masood against BJP Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi also attracted strong reactions, forcing the Election Commission to intervene and lodge an FIR against him.
While BSP's social engineering would be tested in this region as the party had won maximum five Lok Sabha seats in 2009, performance of Ajit Singh's RLD, which had won two seats then in alliance with the BJP, will also be examined as it has entered into an alliance with the Congress, which could not open its account in the region.

Going by the record of 2009 Lok Sabha polls, nothing much is at stake for the ruling Samajwadi party, while the BJP is looking to increase its tally from two seats in past elections.
In 2012 assembly polls too, out of 50 assembly seats spread in these 10 parliamentary constituencies, the BSP had won 18, SP 12, BJP 10 seats, Congress and RLD had won five seats each.
In these 10 constituencies spread over 11 districts, the voting percentage in 2009 polls was 51.30 per cent while in the 2012 Assembly polls the percentage was 61.78.