In Uttar Pradesh, Priyanka Gandhi, Yogi Adityanath held most rallies, Mayawati least

The campaign started on a lukewarm note with the Election Commission putting curbs on rallies and roadshows in view of the third wave of Covid-19 pandemic. In the first few phases, mostly in west UP, the political parties focused on door-to-door campaigns. As the number of Covid cases started dropping, leading to the easing of curbs, the campaign picked up with political parties holding huge rallies and roadshows in successive phases.

Congress General Secretary and UP in-charge Priyanka Gandhi holds a roadshow in Jaunpur district. (PTI Photo)

The ruling BJP involved a gamut of senior political leaders in its campaign, beginning from Prime Minister Narendra Modi who addressed 27 public meetings and a roadshow in his Lok Sabha constituency of Varanasi.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also held a large number of rallies for the BJP. Shah, who monitored the BJP poll preparations, addressed 54 rallies in the state, followed closely by Rajnath Singh, a Lok Sabha member from Capital Lucknow, with 43 rallies. BJP national president JP Nadda also addressed 41 rallies and roadshows.

Adityanath, who is seeking a second term, toured all the 75 districts by the last day of campaigning on March 5. He led a roadshow in the Gorakhpur Urban Assembly seat, from where he is contesting the election.

His deputy, Keshav Prasad Maurya, who is in the fray from Sirathu in Kaushambi district, addressed 86 rallies. Sources in the BJP said that being an OBC leader, Maurya focused on OBC-dominated constituencies.

Union minister Mahendra Nath Pandey, who represents Chandauli Lok Sabha seat and is one of the prominent Brahmin faces of the BJP, also addressed a good number of rallies — 34.

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav led his party’s campaign in the state. He held roadshows in BJP bastions of Ayodhya and Varanasi. Most of his maximum rallies were concentrated in Bundelkhand, central and eastern regions. Party insiders said that he gave more time in these regions as he eyed the support of non-Yadav OBCs after forging alliances with smaller parties claiming to have influence in different backward castes.

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav addresses a rally in Azamgarh on March 5, 2022. (PTI Photo)

SP founder and patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav addressed only two rallies this election — one in Karhal (Mainpuri district) from where his son Akhilesh is contesting the Assembly polls for the first time, and Malhani in Jaunpur district where the party’s seven-time MLA and three-time minister late Parasnath Yadav’s Lucky Yadav is in the fray.

Akhilesh’s wife and former MP Dimple Yadav addressed five rallies in Kaushmabi and Jaunpur districts.

Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) president Jayant Chaudhary, who tied up with SP, focused his campaign in west UP where his party has influence. His last joint rally with Akhilesh was in Varanasi where TMC supremo and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee also took part.

BSP chief Mayawati during a public meeting in Varanasi on March 3, 2022. (PTI Photo)

With Congress president and Raebareli MP Sonia Gandhi keeping away from active canvassing, her daughter and AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi shouldered the party’s campaign and addressed 167 rallies and nukkad sabhas. She also led 42 roadshows and door-to-door contact campaigns. She also addressed 340 constituencies virtually. Her brother and former Congress president Rahul Gandhi addressed only two rallies — in Varanasi and Amethi. He had lost the last Lok Sabha elections from Amethi.

Bhupesh Baghel, the Congress chief minister from Chhattisgarh, also actively campaigned for party candidates in UP. Former Madhya Pradesh and Uttarakhand chief ministers Kamal Nath and Harish Rawat and senior leader Sachin Pilot also campaigned for Congress candidates in the state.

While BSP chief Mayawati addressed only 18 public meetings, the party’s national general secretary and Brahmin face Satish Chandra Misra held 55 rallies.