Following aggressive campaigns by all competing parties, voters in Western Uttar Pradesh will vote in the phase 2 of the state polls on Wednesday. The campaign for the phase-2 polls ended yesterday. Phase 1 of the seven-phase Assembly Elections in the state ended on February 11. Phase 2 polls could hints as to which party would win the state, even as fingers would remain crossed till the announcement of the results on March 11. The campaign for the phase 2 witnessed heated speeches by several leaders. For BJP, PM Modi singled out Uttar Pradesh CM Akhilesh Yadav. However, the PM faced multiple attacks from Akhilesh, Rahul Gandhi as well as Mayawati.

Here we take a look at the important  issues, candidates, constituencies and numbers of the Phase 2 polls.

How parties sold their promises to voters

The BJP attacked the ruling Samajwadi party over corruption. PM Modi raised the issue of demonetisation and surgical strikes repeatedly at his rallies. Congress and Samajwadi Party accused Modi of failing to deliver on his promises and causing suffering to the common man with note ban. Modi played the pro-poor and pro-farmers card and reiterated BJP’s promise of waiving loans of small and marginal farmers and paying the dues of sugarcane growers within 14 days of coming to power.

Political bigwigs, including SP patron Mulayam Singh Yadav and Congress president Sonia Gandhi were missing on the campaign trail. Mayawati went all out against the SP, alleging that the Akhilesh government had let loose a “reign of terror” in Uttar Pradesh with hooligans committing “utmost atrocities” against women. She also attacked the Modi government of “interfering” with the personal law of Muslims and ending reservations for backward communities in jobs and promised to extend quota benefits to the poor among the upper castes. She said that if Muslims wanted to defeat the BJP, they should not waste their votes by backing the SP-Congress alliance.

Total number of constituencies

67 Assembly constituencies spread across 11 districts.

Seats held by parties at present

Out of the 67 Assembly seats in the second phase, Samajwadi Party (SP) has its MLAs on 34 seats. BSP had bagged 18 seats last time, BJP 10, Congress 3 and others 2.

Total candidates in fray

720, with a maximum of 22 from Barhapur (Bijnor) and a minimum of four from Dhanaura (Amroha).

Total voters

As many as 2.28 crore people are eligible to vote, including over 1.04 crore women.

Polling centres

14,771 polling centres and 23,693 polling stations have been set up in the 11 districts — Saharanpur, Bijnor, Moradabad, Sambhal, Rampur, Bareilly, Amroha, Pilibhit, Kheri, Shahjahanpur and Badaun.

Prominent contestants

SP minister Azam Khan and his son Abdullah Azam, who are contesting from Rampur and Swar seats respectively, Saif Ali Naqvi, son of former Congress MP Zafar Ali Naqvi, former central minister Jitin Prasada from Tilhar (Shahjahanpur), BJP Legislature Party leader Suresh Kumar Khanna from Shahjahanpur city and state minister Mehboob Ali from Amroha.

What parties hope

PM Modi Modi and BJP president Amit Shah led BJP’s campaign, attacking Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and his ally Congress. BJP is hoping to replicate its 2014 general election performance in Uttar pradesh.

The SP-Congress alliance’s charge was spearheaded by Akhilesh and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi. They are hoping that voters’ would buy their promises of providing an inclusive government to the state.

BSP chief Mayawati is banking on minority and Dalit voters. She claimed that she would prove the pollsters wrong as she did in 2012, when they had predicted her defeat in the region.

Key issues

Corruption, communal tension, development, jobs, farmers’ welfare

Key constituencies:

Badaun: Here SP’s Abid Raja Khan is pitted against BJP’s Mahesh Chandra Gupta. AIMIM and BSP are also in the fray, BJP is hoping a division in Muslim votes.

Bareilly: It is a BJP bastion with two sitting MLA. However, the party will face the heat from BSP and Congress.

Bijnor: The district has eight constituencies. A recent murder in the region has threatened to polarise voters on communal lines.

Moradabad: The city’s brass industry took a hit bydemonetisation. It would be interesting to see if BJP can still convince voters about the note ban here.

Rampur: All eyes will be on SP minister Azam Khan and his son Abdullah. Both are fighting from two seats in the district.

(With agency inputs)