Will UP emerge as kingmaker state?

In politically crucial Uttar Pradesh, focus will not only be on the performance of political parties but also on the VIPs seats, including those of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress chief Rahul Gandhi. The poll results of the state, which has 80 Lok Sabha seats, can make or mar the prospects of any political party at the Centre.

Lucknow: With a few hours left for counting of votes to begin, the spotlight is on the heavyweight battles in Uttar Pradesh that will decide the future of the country in the next five years.

The biggest battle of these elections is actually no battle at all. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is contesting from Varanasi and is being challenged by Ajay Rai of the Congress. Modi is a clear winner and the battle here is mainly about the margin of victory for the Prime Minister.

Earlier there were speculations that the Congress would field Priyanka Gandhi Vadra from Varanasi against Prime Minister Modi. After months of build-up, the Congress announced that not Priyanka but Ajay Rai, a local Congress leader who had finished third in the 2014 polls, would be the party's candidate again in the temple town.

Priyanka Gandhi joined the Congress in January and took charge as party's general secretary in charge of east Uttar Pradesh. She played an unofficial role in the party's decisions for years. She was given charge of the Congress campaign in 41 of Uttar Pradesh's 80 seats in eastern UP.

This was the first election in which Priyanka campaigned as a general secretary of the party. Although, she has been canvassing in the election since 1999 but kept herself restricted to Raebareli and Amethi, the constituencies of her mother and brother respectively.

The other similar battle in Uttar Pradesh is in Rae Bareli where UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi is contesting. Her main rival Dinesh Pratap Singh of BJP is a lightweight, and Sonia Gandhi's position has been strengthened by the fact that SP and BSP have not fielded any candidate against her.

The battle, in the true sense of the term, is being fought in Amethi where Congress President Rahul Gandhi is being challenged by Union Minister Smriti Irani. Exit polls have put a question mark on the victory of Rahul Gandhi and BJP workers are already celebrating in Amethi. This is one of the most keenly contested seats in the country.

In Azamgarh, Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav is locked in a battle with Bhojpuri actor Dinesh Lal Yadav Nirahua, who seems over-confident of his victory. Akhilesh has a definite edge in this constituency.

In Kannauj though, Samajwadi MP Dimple Yadav is locked in a fierce battle with BJP's Subrat Pathak and though she is said to be closer to the victory stand, pollsters put a question mark on this seat.

Union Minister Manoj Sinha is facing a tough battle in Ghazipur where he is being challenged by BSP's Afzal Ansari. With caste arithmetic favouring the BSP in this constituency, Manoj Sinha had worked hard to ensure his return to Lok Sabha.