1. Rampur
2017 | SP, 2012 | SP, 2007 | SP
It’s SP veteran Azam Khan versus his ‘nemesis’ Akash Saxena (BJP). Saxena lodged 30 of 100-odd police cases of land-grabbing against Azam, which led to his arrest. Azam, who is also Rampur MP, is seeking a record 10th term from jail. Nawab Kazim Ali of Congress, the scion of local royal family, and four-time MLA from two neighboring seats makes it a three-way contest. While the Rampur royalty and Azam have a history of rivalry, Akash, the son of former minister Shiv Bahadur, waged a long battle against the SP veteran. Azam, is riding on sympathy factor because of his ‘victimization’.
2. Suar
2017 | SP, 2012 | Cong, 2007 | Cong
The Battle of Rampur extends into neighboring Suar with the clash of sons of Azam Khan and Kazim Ali. Azam’s son Abdullah, who who won the seat in 2017, and later disqualified because of using fake age certificate, is facing Kazim’s son Haider Ali Khan, an England-educated youth who spurned Congress’s ticket to become the candidate of NDA partner Apna Dal (S ). That makes him the first Muslim candidate of BJP and allies since 2014. In 2017, Abdullah had defeated Haider’s father, who pursued the ‘fake certificate’ case against him. So, it’s a grudge clash for both.
3. Nakur
2017 | BJP, 2012 | BSP, 2007 | BSP
Two turncoats are battling. Two-time MP and former minister, Dharam Singh Saini, made a high-decibel crossover to SP before polls. His rival, BJP’s Mukesh Chaudhary, was in Congress till 2019 when he defected to BJP. Saini, however, has his arch-rival Imran Masood by his side. A Congress strong man, Masood lost narrowly to Saini in two elections and switched over to SP. Although he got no ticket, he has vowed SP’s win. BSP’s Sahil Khan is hoping to make a dent in SP’s Muslim vote bank. Chandra Shekhar’s Azad Samaj Party, which has presence in the district, has fielded Sonu Kumar.
4. Shahjahanpur
2017 | BJP, 2012 | BJP, 2007 | BJP
UP’s finance minister Suresh Khanna is seeking a record ninth victory for this terai seat on which he has had a hold since 1989. SP’s district president Tanveer Khan who offered a tough contest to Khanna in the past two polls, is back to challenge him, banking on Muslim voters. BSP has played its Brahmin card, fielding Dhandhu Mishra while Congress has sprung a surprise by putting its bet on ASHA worker Poonam Pandey. She hogged the limelight after being assaulted by cops when she was trying to barge into UP CM’s rally site.
5. Bilaspur
2017 | BJP, 2012 | Cong, 2007 | Cong
After year-long farm protest, Yogi cabinet’s sole Sikh minister and sitting MLA Baldev Singh Aulakh faces an onerous task of winning over voters, especially the Sikhs, who are present in a large number here. His challenger is Congress veteran Sanjay Kapoor, who won the seat in 2012 and 2007. This is one of the few seats where the impact of farm protests could be felt as there is a large number of families who have come from Punjab to settle in this constituency of Rampur district. SP has fielded Amarjeet Singh while BSP is banking on Ram Avatar Kashyap.
6. Behat
2017 | Cong, 2012 | BSP, 2007 | NA
UP’s Constituency No. 1 was known as Muzaffarabad before 2008 delimitation. MLA Naresh Saini, one of the seven Congress winners in 2017, is now a BJP candidate. Saharanpur district, under which this seat falls, in fact witnessed a delirious churning of candidates in the run-up to the polls. SP’s Omar Ali and BSP’s Rais Malik would be vying for the support of a large concentration of Muslim electorates of the constituency, which may benefit Saini. Substantial presence of Dalits, especially Jatavs, too, is expected to benefit the BSP. Congress has fielded Poonam Kamboj.
7. Chandausi (R)
2017 | BJP, 2012 | SP, 2007 | BSP
UP’s junior minister Gulab Devi had to battle other aspirants from her own party after her candidature was announced for this reserved constituency of Sambhal. She is a four-time MLA, having won for the first time in 1991. After 2002, she tasted two defeats before regaining it in 2017. Congress’s Vimlesh Kumari, runner-up last time, is now SP’s candidate. Last time, she was supported by SP. Congress has also fielded a woman, Mithilesh Kumari, while BSP has fielded Ran Vijay Singh. BJP candidate is also battling against the trend of this seat known for changing winning parties.
8. Aonla
2017 | BJP , 2012 | BJP, 2007 | BSP
Former minister Dharampal Singh is seeking his fifth term from this seat of Bareilly district. He joined the Yogi government in 2017 as irrigation minister but resigned midway. He is facing his former ‘colleague’, BJP MLA from neighboring Bilsi Radha Krishna Sharma, who has crossed over to SP. Sharma has been a two-time MLA. Known for Iffco’s fertilizer unit and considered to be a saffron bastion, BJP has lost just twice in the past 36 years. Lodhs are the most dominant caste so, BSP has fielded Laxman Prasad Lodhi and Congress Omvir Yadav.
9. Amroha
2017 | SP, 2012 | SP, 2007 | SP
Former cabinet minister Mehboob Ali has had an uninterrupted run since 2002 and is seeking a fifth term. In 2017, he won by over 15,000 votes though BJP swept the remaining three seats of Amroha district. This time, he got a shot in the arm when the Congress nominee Salim Khan joined SP just two days before voting, claiming that he was not being allowed to meet Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. BSP has also fielded a Muslim candidate, Naved Ayaz, considering a large number of minority votes. BJP, which last won in 1991, has fielded Ram Singh Saini.
10. Tilhar
2017 | BJP, 2012 | BSP, 2007 | SP
It’s a battle of turncoats here. BJP’s giant killer Roshan Lal Verma, who felled Congress’s Jitin Prasada in 2017, is now SP’s candidate, having made the high-profile crossover along with Swami Prasad Maurya and others. He won the seat in 2012, but as BSP candidate. Verma is facing BJP’s Saloni Kushwaha, an SP worker who made a quick switchover after her ticket went to a turncoat. While she is also expected to get the benefit of the goodwill of her doctor husband, BSP candidate Faizan Ali might make a dent in SP’s Muslim votebank.
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