With the first phase of Uttar Pradesh assembly election over, we bring you a ground report on the voter sentiment. The crucial belt of western Uttar Pradesh voted on Saturday. In the last election, the BSP won as many seats as the Samajwadi Party despite a strong pro-SP wave back then. That said, translating Muslim votes into seats in western Uttar Pradesh remains a challenge for Akhilesh Yadav as the region hardly has a solid Yadav bloc. The impact of the Jat agitation in Haryana is visible in western Uttar Pradesh.

Source: India Today February 12, 2017 12:30 UTC