UP Assembly polls: SP-RLD alliance won't make any difference, says Gen VK Singh

Ghaziabad (Uttar Pradesh) [India], February 10 (ANI): Amid the ongoing Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, Union Minister General (retd) VK Singh on Thursday said the alliance of Samajwadi Party (SP) and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) will not make any difference.
Polling for the first phase of the Uttar Pradesh elections took place on Thursday. General VK Singh cast his vote at Silchar Public School, Ghaziabad on Thursday. His polling station falls under the Muradnagar Assembly constituency.
Speaking to ANI, Union Minister said, "There is no land mafia in Ghaziabad now. Today there is security. The kind of development that people wanted is happening. The image of Ghaziabad is changing under the BJP rule. I think BJP will form the government with a majority."
On farmers' issue, he said, "Issues on which farmers protest was done, do not affect western UP. It is a sugarcane belt and farmers received their due payment. Sugar mills opened, so this is not an issue. Farmers can see for themselves."
Asked about the alliance of SP and RLD, Singh said, "It was there in 2019 also. The alliance will not make any difference just like 2019."
As the first phase of the 403-member Uttar Pradesh Assembly concluded on Thursday, the voter turnout for the Jat-dominant belt of western Uttar Pradesh was recorded to be nearly 60 per cent.
Polling for the first phase of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections concluded on Thursday. Covering the Jat-dominant belt of western Uttar Pradesh, the first phase of polls included 58 Assembly constituencies across 11 districts of the state.
The polling was held at 25,849 polling stations and 10,766 polling centres. As many as 623 candidates have been in the fray on 58 Assembly seats where polls were held today.
Starting from today, the elections for the 403-member Uttar Pradesh Assembly are being held in seven phases this time. The other phases of polling will be held on February 14, 20, 23, 27, March 3, and 7. The counting of votes will take place on March 10. (ANI)