UP Voting Phase 7: All eyes on PM Modi's bastion Varanasi; exit poll predictions after polling ends

UP Election 2022 7th Phase Voting: The mega-election exercise in 5 states is ending today, with voting underway in 9 districts of Uttar Pradesh. Polling is taking place in 54 seats spread across 9 districts in eastern UP.

The district capturing the most attention in Phase 7 is Varanasi, which is represented by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Lok Sabha. The PM camped for multiple days in Varanasi to campaign in the run-up to polling day.

Around 2.06 crore voters are reportedly eligible to vote in this phase which has 613 candidates in the fray. The 9 districts voting are Azamgarh, Mau, Jaunpur, Ghazipur, Chandauli, Varanasi, Mirzapur, Bhadohi, and Sonbhadra.

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In the last elections in 2017, the BJP-led alliance had reportedly won 29 seats in the region, while SP had won 11, and BSP 6.

Among the high-profile candidates are tourism minister Neelkanth Tiwari in Varanasi South, Anil Rajbhar in Shivpur, and Ravindra Jaiswal in Varanasi North. Dara Singh Chauhan, who quit the Yogi Adityanath cabinet to join SP, is contesting from Ghosi.

UP Election 2022: 54 assembly seats voting in Phase 7 - Here's all you need to know

Results will be announced on March 10.

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