New Delhi, January 8: The Election Commission announced poll schedules for Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa, and Manipur on Saturday.
Elections will be completed in seven phases from February 10 to March 10. Uttarakhand (70 seats), Goa (40 seats), and Punjab (117 seats) will vote in the second phase on February 14, along with UP, Uttarakhand, and Goa.
All three will vote in a single phase. Uttar Pradesh will vote in seven phases for its 403 assembly seats and Manipur will vote in two phases on February 27 and March 3.
March 7 is the last date of polling. Votes will be counted on March 10.
The election comes on a day when the WHO asked nations to do whatever they can to stop the surge of Covid and India saw 1,41,786 new cases.
The elections are crucial for the ruling BJP which will defend its governments in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur to bolster its chances in the run-up to the 2024 general election.
The Congress will be fighting for political relevance having been left in power only in Punjab, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh on its own and in Maharashtra in alliance.
The Aam Aadmi Party will be testing its might outside Delhi with candidates in the fray in Punjab, UP, Uttarakhand and Goa.
The elections will determine which way the winds are blowing for the BJP which had to repeal the three farm laws under pressure from farmers across the country, especially those from poll-bound Uttar Pradesh and Punjab.
It was clear that the BJP government had sensed a growing disaffection that could have harmed its electoral prospects in UP, where its leaders were unable to even enter villages in western UP for campaigning.
With Prime Minister Narendra Modi offering a public apology while announcing the decision to repeal the farm laws, the BJP hopes to salvage the lost political ground.
The BJP had bagged 312 seats in the 2017 UP polls and 325 seats with allies — the first time any party had secured such a massive majority since 1977.
The SP, which had tied up with the Congress in 2017 and managed just 47 seats with Congress reduced to seven, has tied up with RLD this time along with smaller parties including of Om Prakash Rajbhar of Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party.
The SP and RLD is hoping to put up a massive fight in UP, especially in western UP where the impact of farmers agitation and anger against the BJP was palpable until a while ago.
For the BJP retaining UP is key to winning 2024 general election which is why Union Home Minister Amit Shah recently told the state voters, “If you want to see Modi as PM in 2024, make Yogi Adityanath the CM in 2022.”
In Punjab the Congress which won 77 seats in 2017 under Amarinder Singh is fighting a high-stake poll with not a single candidate announced yet where challengers SAD and AAP have named majority of their contestants.
