With just two phases of polling left in the Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh, political parties are now stepping up campaigns in 27 seats in the sixth and seventh phase, where polling is scheduled for May 25 and June 1 respectively.

The last two phases of polling includes Prime Minister’s parliamentary constituency Varanasi, Chief Minister’s home district Gorakhpur and Azamgarh seat which is considered a Samajwadi Party stronghold.

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Apart from NDA and opposition alliance INDIA bloc, Mayawati -led Bahujan Samaj Party will put in full strength to win these seats.

In the sixth phase, elections are slated to be held in 14 seats which are: Sultanpur, Pratapgarh, Phulpur, Allahabad, Ambedkar Nagar, Shravasti, Dumariyaganj, Basti, Sant Kabir Nagar, Lalganj, Azamgarh, Jaunpur, Machlishahr and Bhadohi. The election campaign in the sixth phase will end at 6 pm on May 23.

Political parties have only three more days to campaign for this phase.

Similarly, in the seventh phase, voting would be held for Maharajganj, Gorakhpur, Kushinagar, Deoria, Banggaon, Ghosi, Salempur, Ballia, Ghazipur, Chandauli, Varanasi, Mirzapur and Robertsganj Lok Sabha seats. Election campaigns in these constituencies will end on May 30 evening. The political parties now have 10 more days left to campaign for this phase.

Of these 27 seats, in the 2019 election, the BJP had won 18 seats; Apna Dal, an ally of NDA had won two while the BJP had won Azamgarh seat in the by-election.

The NDA will fight to retain 21 seats of the total 27 left now. The BSP has won six seats in the 2019 elections which it had contested in alliance with the SP. This time, BSP is contesting alone in the elections.

Along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, all the big leaders of BJP including Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath are putting in all-out efforts in Purvanchal. At the same time, SP President Akhilesh Yadav and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi are also making strategies to campaign in as many seats as possible.

Today, the PM will address meetings in Prayagraj and Varanasi while CM Adityanath will hold six meetings in Purvanchal.

Both the alliances have instructed their key leaders and workers to camp in Varanasi.

Today, the SP chief will campaign in his stronghold Azamgarh.

Akhilesh Yadav had won from Azamgarh in the last election but later BJP snatched this seat from it in the by-election held on the seat which became vacant when he resigned from the seat. This time Akhilesh’s cousin Dharmendra Yadav is contesting from Azamgarh.