UP polls: SP, Congress line up top guns for endgame

New Delhi: With the UP elections entering its last leg, the Congress-SP alliance has roped in all its resources to take on the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in this part of eastern UP. Both Samajwadi Party and Congress have mobilised their leaders, functionaries and workers of their youth and women wing.

The top leadership of the Congress, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Raj Babbar, Randeep Singh Surjewala, Sandeep Diskhit among others are camping in Varanasi. The main focus of the SP-Congress alliance in the last phase (March 8) is to target all the eight assembly berths in the Varanasi districts. Of the eight constituencies, five fall in the Varanasi Lok Sabha segment, home turf of  Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Of the eight Assembly berths in the Varanasi district, in 2012 BJP had won three, BSP three while both SP and Congress one each. This time BJP is contesting seven assembly segments while its alliance partner Apna Dal is contesting one.

The SP-Congress has also launched a “chalo kashi” campaign with videos urging the youths to go to Varanasi and ensure the victory of the SP-Congress. Student wings of both SP and Congress are also campaigning in Banaras Hindu University.

On Saturday the polling will be held on 49 seats.  Of the 49 seats, in 2012, 29 were won by SP, BSP-nine, BJP-seven and Congress-four. The crucial areas going to poll are Gorakhpur, Kushinagar,  Azamgarh, Mau and Balia.