It would be worth mentioning here that BJP had lost five seats out of total seats of first phase in 2019. All the eight seats Saharanpur, Kairana, Muzaffarnagar, Bijnore, Moradabad, Rampur, Pilibhit and Nagina will witness intense fight between NDA and INDIA.

BJP is expecting good show in this phase in view of alliance with RLD. It may be noted that RLD was in alliance with Samajwadi Party and had contested UP Assembly poll in 2022.together. This time also a meeting of Akhilesh Yadav with the RLD leader Jayant Choudhry formalised the alliance on seat sharing.. The state BJP leaders were alarmed at this alliance and they briefed the central leaders including the Prime Minister.

When PM Narendra Modi announced Bharat Ratna for former Prime Minister Charan Singh, his grandson Jayant Choudhry announced that he was breaking alliance Samajwadi Party and would join NDA. Recently PM Narendra Modi addressed rally in Western UP where Jayant Choudhry also shared the dais with him.

With this alliance BJP is expect to consolidate jat community in favour of NDA candidates. It would be worth mentioning here that RLD had won eight assembly seats in UP assembly in alliance with SP from this region.

This election will also see the importance of Mohd Azam Khan factor in Moradabad and Rampur. Akhilesh Yadav changed the candidate who was sitting MP of Moradabad by Ruchi Veera under the directive of Mohd Azam khan who is in jail. Similarly Rampur ticket was also given as per directive of Azam Khan.

It would be interesting to see battle between NDA and INDIA bloc in Pilibhit where BJP replaced sitting MP Varun Gandhi with Jitin Prasad who had earlier been with Congress. PM Narendra Modi also addressed public meeting at Pilibhit to boost the chances of BJP candidate Jitin Prasad.

Although BSP had won Saharanpur, Bijnore and Nagina in 2019 in alliance with Samajwadi Party, but this time BSP is contesting on its own. If BSP is able to get good number of votes it would certainly help NDA.

It is to be seen how Akhilesh Yadav and his party is able to mobilise support of backwards, dalits and muslim community which have good presence in this region. There is no doubt that INDIA bloc candidates will be benefitted by consolidation of Muslim community. Last time Samajwadi Party had won Moradabad and Rampur. The task is very tough for INDIA alliance in this western region of the state. SP’s organizational prowess and the voting pattern of Muslims and dalits will decide the fate of the fate of the candidates of both the combinations. As of now, NDA has been placed advantageously. (IPA Service)