UP Elections 2022: Amit Shah to embark on door-to-door campaign in Kairana today

Lucknow: In his first political programme in Uttar Pradesh after the assembly poll dates were announced, Home Minister Amit Shah will be on a door-to-door campaign in support of the BJP candidate in the western UP constituency of Kairana today afternoon.

He will meet party workers and interact with intellectuals during his visit to Shamli and Merrut districts of this region which is crucial for BJP's prospects in the polls

The constituency had seen an exodus of Hindu families in 2016 and their return later after huge efforts. The BJP has fielded Mriganka Singh, eldest daughter of late Hukum Singh who had won the seat several times.

The Home Minister will hold a closed-door meeting in Shamli with party leaders from Shamli and Baghpat.

Shah's choice of Kairana is significant as BJP leaders had alleged in the run-up to the 2017 assembly polls that a large number of Hindus were forced to migrate from the area due to threats.

He will hold a meeting with intellectuals in Meerut on Saturday evening to conclude his engagements for the day.

The polls in western Uttar Pradesh are crucial for BJP as it involves about 108 seats and the party had done well in the previous assembly election. The party had won 83 seats in the region in 2017 and the party leadership is confident of repeating the performance.

The BJP swept Uttar Pradesh in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections winning 78 out of 80 seats. It won over 300 seats in the 2017 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections and 62 seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections when Amit Shah was the party chief.

Elections to 403 member Uttar Pradesh assembly will be held in seven phases. The first phase of polls will be held in parts of Western Uttar Pradesh on February 10.