MEERUT: As the second phase of the seven-phase Lok Sabha polls drew to a close on Wednesday, ruling BJP put in all its might, while opposition leaders were notably less active in western UP seats, as per analysts. BJP’s key figures, including star campaigners like PM Modi, UP CM Yogi Adityanath, Union home minister Amit Shah, defence minister Rajnath Singh, and deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya, fervently engaged in energising the electoral landscape across crucial west-UP constituencies.
Conversely, prominent players from opposition parties were largely absent. CM Yogi made six visits to Meerut, five to Bulandshahr, and three to Amroha since the commencement of the election campaigns. PM Modi also participated in the west UP campaigns at Meerut, Saharanpur, Amroha, and Bulandshahr, albeit maintaining a distance from Baghpat and Bijnor, the two seats allocated to RLD in the BJP-RLD alliance.
Additionally, BJP deployed star campaigners like CM Yogi and Rajnath Singh in Rajput-dominated areas to court the community, following protests from Rajputs over perceived neglect in ticket allocation. Among opposition heavyweights, Priyanka Gandhi conducted a single roadshow in West-UP, held after the first phase in Saharanpur, in support of party candidate Imran Masood. Priyanka’s absence in the second phase was notable, with Rahul Gandhi making just one appearance at a rally in Amroha alongside Akhilesh Yadav, endorsing Danish Ali for the second phase. No senior Congress candidates, including Rahul and Priyanka, were seen in Bulandshahr, a seat designated to the Congress party in the INDI alliance. A senior Congress party leader attributed the weak campaign in west UP to financial mismanagement during the elections, alleging embezzlement of campaign funds by party officials.
“The campaign suffers due to lack of funding. Senior leaders were scheduled to campaign but financial mismanagement hindered the process,” said Shashi Bhushan Sharma, Congress media coordinator for Bulandshahr.
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