As 2019 Lok Sabha Elections begin, here's what U.P Gathbandhan allies Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati have to say to the voters

As the first phase of Lok Sabha elections began from 7am on Thursday, BSP supremo Mayawati and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav took to Twitter to request voters to exercise their right to vote in the largest festival of democracy.  

While the BSP chief appealed the voters to go to the polling booths for the welfare of the country, SP chief Akhilesh said that this is the first phase of 'Mahaparivartan' (big change).

Akhilesh Yadav wrote:

"Today is the first phase of 'Mahaparivartan". To make this day historic everyone has to come out of their homes and will have to exercise their right, every such person should vote who is dedicated towards making a healthy country, who wants to safeguard our strong Constitution and brotherhood of the nation."

A few minutes after the tweet of her 'bhatija', Mayawati also tweeted saying:

"It is an appeal to all voters that they vote for country's good and country's happiness and in order to ensure that they go to their polling booths on time and cast their vote."

While Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati has announced that she won’t be contesting the Lok Sabha elections, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav will contest from Azamgarh, the seat won by his father Mulayam Singh Yadav in 2014.

Elections are being held in eight constituencies of Uttar Pradesh- Ghaziabad, Gautam Buddh Nagar, Bahgpat, Saharanpur, Meerut, Bijnor, Muzaffarnagar and Kairana.

During the campaign, these constituencies were witness to significant attempts at communal polarisation, with Mayawati appealing the Muslim community to vote for SP-BSP-RLD gathbandhan in Saharanpur while CM Yogi Adityanath termed the Opposition to be spreading a 'green virus' in Meerut.

This phase in Uttar Pradesh also decides the fate of 3 Union Ministers - Gen V K Singh, Satya Pal Singh and Mahesh Sharma. Meanwhile, a key triangular contest is also expected in Saharanpur between BJP sitting MP Raghav Lakhanpal, Congress' Imran Masood and SP-BSP-RLD candidate Fazalur Rahman. 

Other well-known names in the fray on Thursday are RLD chief Ajit Singh and BJP leader Sanjeev Balyan contesting from Muzaffarnagar and SP candidate Tabassum Begum from who is seeking re-election from Kairana. 

Voting for the 543 Lok Sabha seats is to be held in seven phases: April 11, April 19, April 23, April 29, May 6, May 12 and May 19. Counting will be done on May 23.

READ: 2019 Lok Sabha Elections Begin: India Goes To Polls For Phase 1 Of General Elections - Voting To Be Held For 91 Seats