LUCKNOW: The elections to local bodies in 24 districts in the state are being viewed as a test for Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, with all eyes on Ayodhya where the opposition Samajwadi Party has fielded a transgender for the mayoral contest.
All poll arrangements are in place for the first phase.
The districts where elections are going to held are Shamli, Meerut, Hapur, Bijnore, Badaun, Hathras, Kasganj, Agra, Kanpur, Jalaun, Hamirpur, Chitrakoot, Kaushambi, Pratapgarh, Unnao, Hardoi, Amethi, Faizabad, Gonda, Basti, Gorakhpur, Azamgarh, Ghazipur and naxal-affected Sonebhadra.
The most interesting contest would be in Ayodhya where transgender Gulshan Bindu has been fielded by Samajwadi Party.
This is for the first time that people of Ayodhya would vote to elect a mayor and councillors.
Observers are keenly watching the civic polls as they are not only a test for Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at large, but also personally for Mr Adityanath as he has launched a campaign blitzkrieg, never done by any chief minister in the past. Yogi assumed power on March 19 this year.
The BJP is taking the civic polls very seriously with all state-level leaders and ministers actively campaigning for official candidates across the state in an attempt to ensure victory in all the districts.
Though Adityanath has taken the unprecedented step of campaigning for BJP candidates, the Samajwadi Party president and Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati are staying away from campaign trail, which is having a demoralising effect on their respective candidates.
Congress, nevertheless, is campaigning for its candidates with senior party leader Ghulam Nabi Azad and UP Congress Committee president Raj Babbar addressing rallies in select districts.
State Election Commissioner (SEC) S K Agarwal said the polling officers have started reaching their respective polling booths. All poll officials have been ordered to reach their respective polling booths by Tuesday evening. On Monday, the state officials reviewed poll arrangements with district officials through video conferencing. “Webcasting, CCTV Cameras, videography and other arrangements were in place to ensure transparency for free and fair polls at the polling booths,” Mr Agarwal said.
The second and third phase of voting would be on November 26 and 29. Counting has been scheduled for December 1 and the results are expected to be declared the same evening.
In the first phase, five municipal corporations, 71 municipalities, and 154 urban local bodies will go to the hustings and corporators and municipal councillors would be elected in 95 wards. (AGENCIES)
Follow our WhatsApp channel
