UP Phase 2 Elections 2022: Sugarcane farmers to decide fate of candidates in 55 seats

Bareilly, February 13: With problems faced by sugarcane farmers being one of the top poll issues in Uttar Pradesh, the state's major belt for the cash crop is going for second phase voting on February 14. Also Read | Punjab Elections 2022: EC permits Political parties to campaign from 6 am to 10 pm The state is estimated to have a sugarcane area of 23.08 lakh hectares, as against 23.07 lakh hectares in 2020-21, and the cane belt of Uttar Pradesh is home to at least 35 lakh farmers. The predominance of sugarcane farming could be gauged from the fact that the western UP districts have overwhelming proportion of the cash crop. Bareilly has 70 per cent sugarcane farmers, Moradabad has around 60 percent, Badaun has 40 per cent, Bijnor has more than 50 per cent, and Rampur has around 45 per cent of the cash crop growers, according to the information provided by the district administrations and local farmers. Among other districts Sambhal has 35 per cent sugarcane farmers, Saharanpur and Amroha have 65 per cent and 60 per cent respectively, and Shahjahanpur has 35 per cent cash crop growers. The seats which are going to polls for the second phase in Uttar Pradesh are Najibabad, Nagina (SC), Barhapur, Dhampur, Nehtaur (SC), Behat, Nakur, Saharanpur Nagar, Saharanpur, Thakurdwara, Moradabad Rural, Moradabad Nagar, Bijnor, Chandpur, Bithari Chainpur, Bareilly, Bareilly Cantt., Noorpur, Kanth, Dhanaura (SC), Naugawan Sadat, Amroha, Hasanpur, Gunnaur, Bisauli (SC), Kundarki, Bilari, Chandausi (SC), Asmoli, Sambhal, Suar, Chamraua, Bilaspur, Rampur, Milak (SC), Deoband, Rampur Maniharan (SC), Gangoh, Sahaswan, Bilsi, Badaun, Shekhupur, Dataganj, Baheri, Meerganj, Bhojipura, Nawabganj, Faridpur (SC), Aonla, Katra, Jalalabad, Tilhar, Powayan (SC), Shahjahanpur and Dadraul. In phase two, there are a total of 586 candidates in the electoral fray for the 55 Assembly seats spread across nine districts that also includes nine constituencies reserved for the Scheduled Castes. Two crore voters will decide the fate of 586 candidates in the second phase of assembly elections. Also Read | Punjab reports 444 new Covid-19 cases in 24 hours -PTC News