It would be worth mentioning here that for 52 seats in fifth phase, 85 per cent seats were won by SP-Congress in 2012 assembly polls. In all 38 were won by SP followed by by five of Congress and four of BJP and three of BSP and two by Peace Party.

BJP has invoked once again Ram mandir issue to capture seats in Faizabad and Ayodhya. Now it is to be seen whether voters of Ayodhya seat prefer Muslim candidate Bajmi Siddiqui of BSP to BJP or SP. This seat was won by Pawan Pande who is minister with Akhilesh Yadav. He had been removed from the ministry but again taken back. It is to be seen whether use of kabristan or shamsan by the PM Narendra Modi and Kasab by BJP national president Amit Shah in their speeches, will create communal polarization in this region or not.

Interesting elections are being contested for Amethi assembly seats where SP has fielded controversial minister Gaya Prasad Prajapati who has earlier been removed as he was facing corruption charges and now facing FIR ordered by Supreme Court for allegation of sexual molestation by woman and the fighting two wives of former union Minister Dr Sanjay Singh MP of Congress. Sanjay Singh’s first wife Garima Singh is contesting on BJP ticket while second wife Amita Kulkarni is contesting on Congress ticket.

Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav who had removed Gayatri Prajapati from his minister but later on took back, campaigned for his party candidate despite facing charges on sexual molestation.

BJP is facing piquant situation in Sultanpur where sitting MP Varun Gandhi is not campaigning for party candidates despite his name figuring in second list of star campaigners.

All parties have also shifted their focus to last two phases of March 4 and 8 in 89 seats of eastern UP.

It would be worth mentioning here that SP had won as many as 50 seats out of 89 followed by 14 of BSP and 11 of BJP and five from Congress.

Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav is facing biggest challenge to retain these seats while BJP is playing aggressive politics with the maximum use of PM Modi by increasing his rallies in this region and BSP off-course too is eyeing more seats this time.

BSP is also expecting big gain in this region due to merger of Quami Ekta Dal of mafia-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari in Azamgarh and other neighbouring districts.

The prestige of former Union Minister and father of chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, Mulayam Singh Yadav is also at stake in Azamgrh as he is sitting MP from there. But this time due to infighting in the family, Mulayam Singh Yadav kept away from campaigning for party candidates but for his younger brother Shivpal Yadav in Itawah and daughter-in-law Aparna in Lucknow.

BJP is banking on the powerful presence of Yogi Aditya Nath sitting MP from Gorakhpur for the victory of party candidates in this region. Aditya Nath is considered to Hindutva face of BJP whose speeches help in the polarization.

Keeping the importance of 89 seats of eastern UP, all political parties have virtually shifted their camps to Varanasi which is Lok Sabha constituency of PM Narendra Modi who too has been asked to increase his presence in this region.

Political analysts feel, remaining three phases, especially last two in eastern UP, are very crucial for all the major political parties facing the threat of extreme communal polarization due to recent speeches of top politicians. (IPA Service)