Lok Sabha 2019: Overview of unpredictable North poll (Part IV)

Eastern Mirror Desk
Dimapur, March 20: The North zone comprising six states and two union territories has 126 parliamentary seats. The BJP swept the region in the previous Lok Sabha elections, winning big in Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Uttarkhand, and two union territories – New Delhi and Chandigarh.

However, this region is unpredictable. It is to be seen if anti-incumbency wave will affect the prospect of the BJP in this region this time around.

Jammu and Kashmir

The state has six Lok Sabha seats. In the previous general elections, Jammu and Kashmir Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) and BJP won three seats each while other parties like Congress, National Panthers Party and National Conference drew a blank.

Interestingly, former IAS officer Shah Faesal has floated a new political party called Jammu and Kashmir Peoples’ Movement, and former JNUSU vice president Shehla Rashid has joined it. The state will go to the polls in five phases: April 11, 18, 23 and 29, and May 6.

The state is currently under the President’s rule after the BJP-People’s Democratic Party (PDP) coalition government collapsed last year.

Uttar Pradesh

The state sends 80 MPs to the Lok Sabha, the highest by any state in the country. The BJP won 71 seats in the previous general elections, a huge leap from 10 in 2009, while the Congress was reduced from 21 in 2009 to just two – the constituencies of Sonia Gandhi (Rae Bareli) and Rahul Gandhi (Amethi) in 2014. The Samajwadi Party won just five in the previous elections against 23 in 2009, Apna Dal won two seats, and Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) drew a blank.

The BJP has the advantage when the state goes to the polls next month in seven phases: April 11, 18, 23 and 29, and May 6, 12 and 19 as NDA is in power under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. But in an interesting development, BSP, SP and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) have formed an alliance, while the Congress is left out.

Himachal Pradesh

The BJP won all the four Lok Sabha seats of the state in the previous general elections. The Congress, which won one seat in 2009 election, drew a black in the subsequent polls. The polling for the 17th Lok Sabha will be held in single phase on May 19.

The state is currently ruled by NDA.

Haryana

The state sends 10 MPs to the Lok Sabha. In 2014 elections, BJP won seven seats (0 in 2009), Indian National Lok Dal won two, while Congress was reduced from nine in 2009 to just one.

The state is currently ruled by NDA. It will go to the polls for the 17th Lok Sabha in single phase on May 19.

Uttarakhand

The upcoming Lok Sabha elections will be held in the state in single phase on April 11. In 2014 general elections, BJP swept all the five seats, while the Congress that won five seats in 2009 drew a blank. The saffron party once again won the state assembly elections in 2017 with a huge margin. The fight will be between the Congress and BJP this time too.

The state is currently ruled by NDA.

Punjab

The state has 13 Lok Sabha seats. In 2014 general elections, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) won four seats each, while Congress won three and BJP – 2. The polling for the upcoming elections will held in the state in single phase on May 19.

The state is currently ruled by UPA.

Union territories (UTs): NCT of Delhi, Chandigarh

Two union territories – New Delhi and Chandigarh – fall under the North zone. While Delhi is the capital city of the country with seven Lok Sabha seats, Chandigarh is the capital of Punjab and Haryana states, and sends a lone representation to the lower house of the Parliament.

The BJP won all the seven Lok Sabha seats in the national capital in 2014, reducing the Congress from seven in 2009 to nil in the previous elections. However, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which is currently in power, will try to upset the national party giants this time around.

The lone Lok Sabha seat of Chandigarh was won by BJP in 2014 general elections.

India is gearing up for the 17th Lok Sabha elections which will be held in seven phases starting from April 11 till May 19. More than 90 crore people will vote from over one million polling stations spread across 29 states to elect 543 members of parliament. The counting of votes will be done on May 23 and results will be declared on the same day.