Heavy polling in second phase also indicates that voters are determined for a government formation ruling out the possibility of a hung assembly.

Significantly enough, districts with Muslim populations saw maximum turn out and heavy voting from both the communities.

Since Samajwadi Party had done extremely well in in 2012 asembly elections in this region, so stakes were very high for Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav . Congress is banking on good number of seats in second phase polling especially due to powerful personalities like firebrand Imran Masood in Saharanpur and former union minister Jatin Prasad in Shahjehanpur district.

BJP is expecting good number of seats from Rohilkhand region expecting split of muslim votes in SP and BSP. That is why BJP national president Amit Shah claimed that the party will get 90 seats from first two phases.

The third phase of polling in UP would be a crucial test of popularity for chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, as in 2012 elections, the Samajwadi Party had won 55 of the 69 seats falling in the 12 districts of Farukhabad, Hardoi, Kannauj, Mainpuri, Etawah, Auraiya, Kanpur Dehat, Kanpur, Unnao, Lucknow, Barabanki and Sitapur, where polling would be held on February 19.

Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav will face real test in districts like Kannauj,Mainpuri,Etawah,Auraiya considered to be pocket burrow of Yadav family for more then three decades.

Significantly Kannauj is represented by Dimple Yadav, wife of Akhilesh Yadav, in Lok Sabha. And Akhilesh himself belongs to Etawah district. Akhilesh cousin brother Tej Pratap Singh is MP from Mainpuri. The prestige of Mulayam Singh Yadav,head of yadav family and father of Akhilesh Yadav is also at stake in this region.

Political observers feel that the manner in which Mulayam Singh Yadav has been sidelined and he himself feel neglected ,it would be difficult for party to do well in Etawah and neighbouring districts.

Mulayam Singh Yadav who himself had been star campaigner till 2014 Lok Sabha polls campaigned this time only for his brother Shivpal Yadav contesting from Jaswantnagar in Eatawah and his daughter-in-law Aparna Yadav contesting from Lucknow cantt.

Few sitting MLAs from Etawah and other places who were denied tickets quit the party and joined rival political parties and are likely to dent into party votes.

As per the alliance, 12 seats are now being contested by the Congress while it had won the lone seat of Kidwainagar in 2012 poll and it was a runners up in Laharpur and Govindnagar, which were won by the BSP and the BJP respectively. While the SP has conceded its five winning seats of Sandi, Bhagwantnagar, Bhognipur, Ghatampur and Zaidpur to the Congress, the party's performance in these constituencies was dismal in the last elections.

Lucknow cantt is witnessing interesting election between sitting MLA Mrs Rita Bahaguna who recently left Congress and joined BJP and Aparna Yadav, daugheter-in-law of Mulayam Singh Yadav as Samajwadi Party candidate.This election is very crucial for Mrs Bahuguna and as well as entire Yadav family . All the members of Yadav family including Mulayam Singh Yadav,chief minister Akhilesh Yadav and his wife Dimple Yadav campaigned for Aparna.

With 14% of candidates (110 out of 826) having criminal cases against them in the third phase of UP assembly election, 2017, .as many as 82 (10%) candidates have declared serious criminal cases, including cases related to murder, attempt to murder and kidnapping, crimes against women.

As many as 16(24%) out of 67 candidates from BSP, 15 (22%) out of 68 candidates from BJP, 4 (10%) out of 40 candidates from RLD, 9(15%) out of 59 candidates from SP, 3 (21%) out of 14 candidates from INC and 12 (5%) out of 225 independent candidates have declared serious criminal cases against them in the affidavits.

Moreover it would be a real test for leaders like Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is main face of his party in UP polls and is extensively touring the state and addressing so many rallies as no PM did in the past.BJP had won 10 seats in 2012 assembly polls.

Simiarly Congess vice President Rahul Gandhi is the main campaigner for his party which had got only three seats in 2012 polls. Along with chief minister Akhilesh Yadav a,Rahul not only addressed joint rallies but also did road show to win over the voters.
BSP has only one star campaigner that is party supremo Mayawati who is trying to convince muslim voters that she would not form government with BJP in post polls scenario if her party is denied majority in the assembly this time.Mayawati is banking on her aggressive muslim card by givng more than 100 tickets to muslim community. (IPA Service)