High-stakes battle for UP begins today

ROUND 1 Parties seek early advantage in 15 crucial districts

AGRA/BULANDSHAHR/ALIGARH/ HAPUR: Issues ranging from communal polarisation to development and demonetisation will be put to test as 73 of Uttar Pradesh’s 403 assembly seats go to the polls on Saturday in the first of seven phases of elections.

The principal protagonists — from the Samajwadi Party-Congress alliance to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) — are hoping for a strong performance in the communally charged western UP region, infamous for the murderous riots in 2013, so as to gather enough impetus for the later phases.

The UP elections are crucial for the BJP as they are being viewed as a mini-referendum on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s major decisions such as Polls are being viewed as a mini-referendum on PM’s major decisions like demonetisation and surgical strikes CM hopes to put the bitter family feud, involving father Mulayam and uncle Shivpal, behind him

demonetisation and surgical strikes across the LoC.

Incumbent chief minister Akhilesh Yadav’s future is at stake as he eyes re-election after a bitter family feud. The Congress would hope for a good showing as it would help The party is banking on the tie-up with SP to wrest back power in the electorally crucial state After a dismal showing in the 2014 LS elections, Mayawati is looking to win over the Muslim vote

in arresting its shrinking footprint across the country. Viewed by many as a semifinal to the 2019 general elections, UP is an acid test for all the principal players. CONTINUED ON PAGE 8 >>RELATED REPORTS ON P12