Assembly elections 2022: Voting begins in Goa, Uttarakhand, 55 seats in UP

In today’s election, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, former Uttarakhand CM Harish Singh Rawat and jailed Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan are in the fray.

Goa and Uttarakhand have traditionally seen bipolar politics, but this time it is a multi-cornered contest with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). The Trinamool Congress (TMC) and other smaller parties are also in a race to make a mark in Goa’s electoral landscape.

The Election Commission of India has set up around 100 women booths called ‘Sakhi’ or ‘Pink Booth’ in each state to encourage women in the voting process. Also, some booths will be operated by Divyangjan.

Here’s what you need to know about Uttarakhand, Goa and Uttar Pradesh-Phase-2 Election 2022:

PM Modi urged voters of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Goa to come out in record numbers to strengthen the festival of democracy.

Goa Governor PS Sreedharan Pillai and his wife Reetha Sreedharan cast their vote in Talegao.

Goa Election 2022

• In the coastal state, over 11 lakh voters will decide the fate of 301 candidates in 40 assembly seats on Monday. Goa election results will be declared on March 10.
• Prominent candidates in Goa: CM Pramod Sawant (BJP), Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat (Congress), former CM Churchill Alemao (TMC), Ravi Naik (BJP), Laxmikant Parsekar (Independent), former deputy CM Vijay Sardesai (GFP) and Sudin Dhavalikar (MGP) Utpal Parrikar, son of late CM Manohar Parrikar, and AAP’s CM are facing Amit Palekar.
• Electoral political parties in the fray in Goa: Congress and Goa Forward Party (GFP) are contesting the elections in alliance. The Mamata Banerjee-led TMC has joined hands with the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) while the Shiv Sena and the NCP are fighting the elections together. On the other hand, Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP is fighting the elections on its own. Apart from 68 independent candidates, Revolutionary Goa, Goencho Swabhiman Party, Jai Mahabharat Party and Sambhaji Brigade are also in the fray.
• In the last assembly election in Goa, the state recorded 82.56 per cent voter turnout in 2017. At that time, Congress had won 17 seats, while the BJP had 13. The BJP had forged alliances with some regional organizations and independent candidates. To form the government in the state.

Uttarakhand Election 2022

• Voting will begin at 8 am and will end at 6 pm in the hill state. This will be the fifth assembly election to be held in the hill state after its formation in 2000.
• Prominent candidates for Uttarakhand election:

State Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, his cabinet colleagues Satpal Maharaj, Subodh Uniyal, Arvind Pandey, Dhan Singh Rawat and Rekha Arya, besides State BJP President Madan Kaushik. Prominent Congress candidates include former Chief Minister Harish Rawat, former minister Yashpal Arya, state Congress President Ganesh Godiyal and Leader of Opposition in the Fourth Assembly Pritam Singh.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has fielded 11 cabinet ministers and state unit president Madan Kaushik. CM Dhami is contesting for the third time against Congress candidate Bhuvan Chandra Kapri from Khatima assembly seat.

Veteran politician Harish Rawat, who is also the president of Congress Campaign Committee, is contesting against BJP’s Mohan Singh Bisht from Lalkuwa seat.

The Aam Aadmi Party, a new entrant in the politics of Uttarakhand, has fielded candidates in all 70 assembly seats, whose chief ministerial face is Ajay Kothiyal.

Kothiyal has been fielded against Congress’s state vice-president Vijaypal Singh Sajwan from Gangotri assembly seat. Meanwhile, BJP has fielded Suresh Singh Chauhan from this seat.

• The BJP had won 57 of the total 70 seats in Uttarakhand in the last assembly elections and restricted the Congress to just 11. Two seats were won by independents.

Uttar Pradesh Election 2022

• In the politically important state of Uttar Pradesh, 586 candidates are in the fray from 55 seats in the second phase in nine districts. Voting will be held from 7 am to 6 pm.
• UP Phase-II Election Key Candidates:

The main faces in this stage are in the field Uttar Pradesh These include BJP’s Minister of State Dharam Singh Saini, who had joined the SP. Azam Khan has been fielded from his stronghold Rampur seat, while Saini is trying his luck from Nakud assembly constituency.

Khan’s son Abdullah Azam has been fielded from Swar seat. He is pitted against Haider Ali Khan, the heiress of another political family, the Nawabs of Rampur, who are trying their luck on the ticket of BJP’s ally Apna Dal (Sonelal).

Outgoing Minister of State for Water Baldev Singh Aulakh from Bilaspur, Mahesh Chandra Gupta, Minister of State for Urban Development from Badaun and Minister of State for Secondary Education Gulab Devi from Chandausi are also in the fray.

• Of the 55 seats to be held in this phase, the BJP won 38 seats in 2017, while the Samajwadi Party got 15 and the Congress two. The SP and the Congress had fought the last assembly elections in alliance.
• The first round of voting in seven phases in Uttar Pradesh was held on February 10. The final results of UP elections will be declared on March 10.