Lucknow: The electoral fortunes of 154 candidates will be decided in 10 Lok Sabha seats in politically important state of Uttar Pradesh on Thursday. Muzaffarnagar riots have changed the political equations of the area dominated by Jats and Muslims which form 15 to 40 per cent of the populace, with political parties also fielding riot accused as their candidates.
Ten of the total 80 constituencies include Muzaffarnagar, Saharanpur, Kairana, Aligarh, Bijnor, Meerut, Baghpat, Ghaziabad, Gautambudh Nagar and Bulandshahar.
With Narendra Modi aide Amit Shah's controversial "revenge" remarks in Muzaffarnagar having stirred a controversy, significance in attached to polling in these ten constituencies.
During the canvassing, riots in the region remained the talking point, with politicians blaming each other in an bid to polarise votes in their favour. Inflammatory remarks by Congress candidate Imran Masood against BJP Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi also attracted strong reactions, forcing the Election Commission to intervene and lodge an FIR against him.
While BSP's social engineering would be tested in this region as the party had won maximum five Lok Sabha seats in 2009, performance of Ajit Singh's RLD, which had won two seats then in alliance with the BJP, will also be examined as it has entered into an alliance with the Congress, which could not open its account in the region.
Going by the record of 2009 Lok Sabha polls, nothing much is at stake for the ruling Samajwadi party, while the BJP is looking to increase its tally from two seats in past elections.
In 2012 assembly polls too, out of 50 assembly seats spread in these 10 parliamentary constituencies, the BSP had won 18, SP 12, BJP 10 seats, Congress and RLD had won five seats each. While maximum number of 24 candidates are in the fray from Ghaziabad this time, Bulandshahr has minimum of 10 candidates in the poll fight.
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