Akhilesh's hopes hinge on 'Yadav' belt as BJP strives to repeat performance in Phase 3 of UP polls

State BJP leaders admitted that the third phase was going to be crucial for the party as it could offset any setbacks in the western region

Sixteen districts from western, Bundelkhand and Awadh regions of Uttar Pradesh will go to polls on Sunday during the third phase, with SP chief Akhilesh Yadav looking to sweep the ‘Yadav belt’ while the BJP will be eyeing a repeat of its 2017 performance.

Yadavs, SCs, and Muslims are in sizeable numbers in western and Awadh regions, and their votes will be crucial if Akhilesh has to have any chance of dethroning Yogi Adityanath.

The BJP deployed almost all its top leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, for campaigning in the three places to battle the perception that it had not done well in Jat-dominated districts during the first two phases.

Read | UP CM Yogi Adityanath says BJP will win 300-plus seats

The saffron party had won 49 seats in the 2017 assembly polls in the regions.

State BJP leaders admit that the third phase is going to be crucial for the party as it could offset setbacks, if any, in the western region. “We will have to repeat our last performance if we are to nurture any hopes of forming the next government in view of the reports that we may be losing some seats in the western region,” said a state BJP leader while speaking to DH.

The saffron party appeared confident of sweeping the Bundelkhand region once again but Awadh and western districts may hold surprises.

Of the 16 districts going to the polls in the third phase, five — Firozabad, Etah, Kasganj, Mainpuri and Hathras — fall in the western region.

Other districts going to the polls in the third phase include Kanpur, Kanpur Dehat, Auriaya, Kannauj, Etawah, Farrukhabad in Awadh region and Jhansi, Jalaun, Lalitpur, Hamirpur and Mahoba in Bundelkhand region.

Akhilesh himself in the fray from the party bastion of Karhal, from where the BJP has fielded Union minister SP Singh Baghel.

SP leaders exuded confidence that the situation in the region had changed completely since 2017 and now the party is in a position to bag more than half of the seats. “We are getting support from the OBCs and upper caste as well besides Yadavs and Muslims,” claimed a senior SP leader in Lucknow.

The BSP, which had drawn a blank last time in these regions, has made the contest three-cornered at some places, especially on seats with a sizeable presence of SC voters.

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