UP election 2022: 5 things you cannot miss about fourth phase of polls today

Uttar Pradesh is headed for a multi-cornered contest with Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Samajwadi Party (SP)-Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) alliance, and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) as principal contenders today.

Polling is underway as the seven-phase assembly election in Uttar Pradesh touched its mid-point on Wednesday. A total of 59 constituencies across nine districts are set the decide the fate of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the fourth phase of elections, as the party faces a tough fight over some of the most-talked-about seats today against the opposing Samajwadi Party (SP), the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Congress, among others.

In her late 80's Mehrul Nisha came all the way from Laulai village to cast her franchise at the polling booth in Chinhat, Lucknow. (Photo by Oliver Fredrick, Hindustan Times)

Here are 5 things you should know about the fourth phase of polls in Uttar Pradesh:

1. The 59 constituencies are spread across nine districts – Pilibhit, Sitapur, Hardoi, Unnao, Lucknow, Rae Bareli, Banda, Fatehpur, and Lakhimpur Kheri. Barring Pilibhit and Banda, all the seats fall in the Awadh region.
2. Lakhimpur Kheri, where farmers were mowed down by a vehicle in the convoy of Union minister of state Ajay Mishra Teni, is among the most crucial constituencies today. Teni, a local MP, is fighting for his prestige after his son was named in the FIR in the incident leading to the deaths of eight persons, including farmers. The seat is witnessing a multi-faceted fight amid tight security as BJP's Yogesh Verma seeks re-election against candidates from SP, BSP, Congress, AIMIM and the AAP.
3. In Unnao, the Congress party has fielded the mother of the rape victim of the infamous incident of 2017 in which the victim tried to kill herself outside Yogi Adityanath's house. She will wrest the seat from BJP's Pankaj Gupta. Former BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, who represented the Bangermau seat in Unnao district, was convicted and jailed for life on rape charges.
4. The high-profile Raebareli Sadar constituency, a Congress bastion and part of Sonia Gandhi's parliamentary seat, is facing a battle against a former party member and sitting MLA, Aditi Singh, who jumped ship to BJP. Daughter of five-time MLA late Akhilesh Singh, she is pitted against Congress' Manish Chauhan, while the Samajwadi Party has fielded RP Yadav.
5. In the 2017 assembly polls, BJP swept in the Awadh region winning 52 seats. The saffron party is banking on the sizeable upper caste and Kurmi population in these districts. Meanwhile, the Samajwadi Party is eyeing to garner votes of the Dalit community.

As many as 624 candidates are in the fray in the fourth phase. Three more phases are left in Uttar Pradesh, the voting for which will take place on February 27, March 3, and March 7.

Polling for assembly elections in Goa, Uttarakhand and Punjab have already concluded, while Manipur will go to the polls in two phases- on February 28 and March 5. The counting of votes will take place on March 10.