Uttar Pradesh Elections 2017: Heavy Weights Battling It Out In Phase 3

New Delhi: The third phase of Uttar Pradesh's assembly elections sees a tight contest among Bharatiya Janata Party, Bahujan Samaj Party and the Samajwadi Party- Congress alliance for 69 seats in the state's legislature. All the three sides have fielded 69 candidates for the seats. In the alliance, the Congress alone fields only nine candidates, the other 60 are represented by the ruling Samajwadi Party. After the relatively calm two phases, this phase is also expected to be calm as voters queue up to make their choice.

Among the candidates, contesting this Sunday, there are no heavyweights fielded from Mayawati's BSP. But, both BJP and SP will witness the test of fate for some of its most promising leaders. Lucknow cantonment sees a fierce contest between newcomer Aparna Yadav, the 'chhoti bahu' (younger daughter-in-law) of Mulayam Singh Yadav playing the field against popular seasoned politician Rita Bahuguna Joshi from the BJP. Although, Ms Joshi has been in politics for nearly two decades, it is only few months ago that she made the switch from Congress into the BJP.

Also contesting is Samajwadi Party heavyweight, Shivpal Singh Yadav, Mulayam Singh's brother. Mr Shivpal has been in the eye of the storm for the last few months as the family feud of the Yadav clan came in the public eye. He is contesting from Jaswantnagar, the place where the Samajwadi patriarch Mulayam held his first rally for this election.

The seven-phase assembly election in Uttar Pradesh remains crucial as it is the state that sends most number of Rajya Sabha members to the parliament.

Here is a list of the heavyweights battling it out in the third phase of UP's election: