By Faisal Fareed, TwoCircles.net
The second phase of polling in UP will be held on February 15 for 67 seats in 11 districts.
In 2012, among these 67 seats, SP led with 34 seats followed by BSP with 18 seats. BJP won 10 while Congress got three and Peace Party and Ittehad-e-Millat Council won one seat each. However, bypolls were held and Congress won one more seat while SP also got one seat.
It also emerged that Moradabad appears to be strongest district for SP as from the six seats in the districts, SP won four in 2012 and later added one more seat in bypoll taking it away from BJP while Peace Party won one seat but that MLA too joined SP. In a way, Moradabad is the only district in UP where all six seats have Muslim MLAs.
Among the 12 reserved seats SP had done better in 2012 as it won nine and BSP got only three. Interestingly BJP did not win any reserved seat.
The phase has 22 Muslim MLAs and the tally rose to 24 with two more winning in bypoll. Among them, 13 are from SP while BSP had six Muslim MLAs in 2012. Small-time parties like Peace Party and Ittehad-e-Millat Council too got one seat each in this area. Congress too had one Muslim MLA.
The phase has many stalwarts like Azam Khan of SP from Rampur while stakes are high for Congress leader Imran Masood in Saharanpur, Rasheed Masood of SP also in Saharanpur, Santosh Gangwar in his district Bareilly, Dharmendra Yadav of SP in Badaun etc.
Muslims lost narrowly due to division of votes on many seats in this region namely Saharanpur, Saharanpur Nagar, Nakur, Gangoh, Bijnor, Noorpur, Asmoli, Bareilly Cantt. Shahjahanpur etc. The story can be read here.