UP Elections 2017: Amit Shah predicts BJP sweep in the first 2 phases

BJP President Amit Shah on Tuesday asserted that his party would win at least 90 seats in the first two phases of Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls.

"We will win 90 seats," he told reporters here about the party's prospects in the first two phases scheduled for February 11 and 15. 140 constituencies of western UP and neighbouring places are going to the polls in the first two phases of the seven-phase elections to 403 seats.

Out of power in the politically most important state since 2002, the saffron party under Shah has been making concerted efforts to wrest the state from Samajwadi Party, which with BSP have ruled it alternately for the last 15 years. BJP aims to consolidate a clutch of backward castes, sections of Dalits besides its core upper castes and bania voters in its favour this time round and hopes that this coupled with its developmental agenda will propel it to power.

It has also decided to face elections without a chief ministerial face, while SP and BSP projected Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and former Chief Minister Mayawati as their candidates for the top post.