LUCKNOW, Nov 21:
The elections to local bodies in 24 districts in the state are being viewed as a test for Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, with all eyes on Ayodhya where the opposition Samajwadi Party has fielded a transgender for the mayoral contest.
All poll arrangements are in place for the first phase.
The districts where elections are going to held are Shamli, Meerut, Hapur, Bijnore, Badaun, Hathras, Kasganj, Agra, Kanpur, Jalaun, Hamirpur, Chitrakoot, Kaushambi, Pratapgarh, Unnao, Hardoi, Amethi, Faizabad, Gonda, Basti, Gorakhpur, Azamgarh, Ghazipur and naxal-affected Sonebhadra.
The most interesting contest would be in Ayodhya where transgender Gulshan Bindu has been fielded by Samajwadi Party.
This is for the first time that people of Ayodhya would vote to elect a mayor and councillors.
Observers are keenly watching the civic polls as they are not only a test for Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at large, but also personally for Mr Adityanath as he has launched a campaign blitzkrieg, never done by any chief minister in the past. Yogi assumed power on March 19 this year.
The BJP is taking the civic polls very seriously with all state-level leaders and ministers actively campaigning for official candidates across the state in an attempt to ensure victory in all the districts.
Though Adityanath has taken the unprecedented step of campaigning for BJP candidates, the Samajwadi Party president and Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati are staying away from campaign trail, which is having a demoralising effect on their respective candidates. (PTI)
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