The 17th Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly Election is turning out to be one of the best battles ever fought in the history of Indian politics. The entire nation is awaiting the results on this coming Saturday (11.3.2017) with a belief that the one who wins this election will be a potential winning party in the upcoming Loksabha election. This is the first assembly election that the BJP is fighting after demonetizing the old Rs. 500 and Rs.1000 notes last year on November 8. Many are seeing this election as a ballot on Mr.Modi and the economic decisions made by him. With exit poll results being announced, speculations are already on. Today, let us take a look at few interesting facts and hoaxes about UP Elections, 2017.
#1 It was BJP vs Samajwadi Party in alliance with Indian National Congress
Samajwadi Party (SP), the ruling political party was contesting under the leadership of Akhilesh Yadav with an alliance with Congress. SP contests for 298 seats and congress for the remaining 105.
#2 This Election witnessed some special clauses by the Election Commission
In this UP Election, voter verified paper audit trail (VVPAT) machines were used along with EVM in 20 assembly constituencies that include 14 districts like Varanasi, Ghaziabad, Bareilly Constituency and so on. The commission was strict on the use of hazardous materials for publicity and also discouraged the use of loudspeakers. The exit polls in the state were banned by the commission and the maximum limit on expenses that was put for each candidate was 28 lakh.
#3 One of the biggest Elections in India with Big names in the contest
Major political parties contesting are Samajwadi Party (SC), Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress, Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) and Communist party of India. We all know that SP had won a majority in the previous Election under the leadership of Akhilesh Yadav with BSP being the second largest party in UP with Mayawati leading from the front.
#4 Mulayam Singh and Akhilesh Yadav became one for the election
There was a dispute between son and the father and the rift once reached till Election commission to split the party. But this UP Election got them together and Mulayam Singh Yadav becomes the mentor for the Samajwadi party.
#5 Facts at a Glance
UP Elections, 2017 has a total of 826 candidates with 105 of them being female. The largest assembly constituency electorate wise is Sarojini Nagar and the smallest is Sismau. UP being the largest state of the country has 14.05 crore voters that split as Male – 7.7 Crore, Female – 6.3 Crore and third gender – 6,983. There are 80 parliamentary constituencies and 403 assembly constituencies.
In the 2012 polls for 73 seats, SP had won 24 seats, BSP 23, BJP 12, Rashtriya Lok Dal 9 and Congress 5 seats. However, in the 2014 Loksabha Elections, BJP had won all the 12 seats here with big names like Ajith Singh seeing the face of failure.
#6 Sonia Gandhi and Mulayam Singh were not found in the campaign
Maybe this is for the first time in the assembly history of UP, the former chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav, a mentor of Samajwadi party did not campaign and so goes true with the president Sonia Gandhi who didn’t get to see due to bad health.
#7 Rajdeep Sardesai predicted a success of Bharatiya Janata Party
A renowned journalist in his column published in HT says, “ I’m putting my neck on the line once again and forecasting a probable BJP win in UP. In a seemingly ‘waveless’ election wherever 403 constituencies are witnessing fierce competition almost all over, this could be a giant call to create. But there’s a reason to believe that the lotus is poised to bloom within the country’s most politically prized state.”
#8 Exit Poll Forecast in favor of BJP
The exit poll results are out and we all are waiting for the assembly results on March 11. It seems that BJP has won the half race with exit poll forecast being in favor of Bharatiya Janata Party.
Highlights:
– BJP getting 211 of the state’s 403 assembly seats with 202 short to form the Government (Times Now)
– India Today-Axis predicted that BJP win between 251 and 285 seats and News 24 gives 285 seats.
– SP+INC is placed at position 2 by all the exit polls
Shocking: Samajwadi Party is ready to join hands with it’s dead rival Bahujan Samajwadi Party if needed with BJP likely to fall short of those 202 seats to form the Government.
There is also a news about BJP choosing Smriti Irani as a candidate for Uttar Pradesh Chief minister. What do you think? Who will win? Let us know in the comments and for more interesting articles on politics, sports, lifestyle and health, subscribe to Metro Saga.
