Campaigning has intensified for the first phase of Lok Sabha polls in 8 seats of western Uttar Pradesh scheduled to go to polls on April 19.

Prevailing heatwave conditions and untimely rain accompanied by thunder and lightning have also affected the campaigning in this phase.

With barely 48 hours remaining for campaigning in the first phase, the Congress, which is just contesting the Saharanpur seat under the INDIA bloc with the Samajwadi Party, plans to hold a roadshow under the leadership of party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday.

Priyanka will hold a roadshow in Saharanpur in favour of party candidate Imran Masood. The roadshow will commence from 10 am in the morning.

On the other hand, a joint press conference of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and SP President Akhilesh Yadav is slated to be held in Ghaziabad on Wednesday morning.

The press conference will be held at a hotel in the Kaushambi locality of Ghaziabad at 9 am in the morning.

In a surprising move, SP president Akhilesh Yadav has decided not to attend any election meetings in the Muslim-dominated Rampur and Moradabad seats, both of which his party had won in 2019.

An election meeting was scheduled to be held in Moradabad on Sunday but it was cancelled due to bad weather.

Meanwhile, the BJP has stepped up campaigning in western UP as its leaders are holding meetings in all the eight constituencies.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already addressed several rallies in Meerut and Pilibhit, while Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has attended more than 20 rallies in these seats.

BSP president Mayawati and her nephew Akash Anand are also addressing election meetings in support of their party candidates.

Unlike previous elections, no controversial statements have been made by political leaders during the campaigning this time. All political parties have so far avoided communal statements, which were common in past elections.

Strictness on the part of the Election Commission of India has deterred political leaders from resorting to adopting any illegal tactics to influence voters.

However, an FIR was registered against SP candidate from Moradabad Ruchi Veera for threatening policemen during an election meeting.

The campaigning for the first phase of polls in 8 seats will end at 6 pm on Wednesday.

The seats going to polls in the first phase include Saharanpur, Bijnore, Kairana, Muzaffarnagar, Nagina, Moradabad, Rampur and Pilibhit.

Polling is scheduled to be held from 7 am to 6 pm on April 19.