UP Assembly election phase 5: Twin cities Faizabad, Ayodhya - a matter of prestige for SP, BJP

In Ayodhya - the city of Lord Ram- the Ram Temple is no longer an emotive issue for voters; it is development and job creation that the voters want.

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UP Assembly election phase 5: Twin cities Faizabad, Ayodhya - a matter of prestige for SP, BJP
Ayodhya

The big battle in Faizabad constituency is between the SP and the BJP but with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) giving ticket to Bazami Siddiqui, first Muslim candidate to get a ticket from a main stream political party, there is an interesting twist in the Assembly polls. It is a matter of prestige for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Faizabad constituency. In 2012, the Samajwadi Party (SP) won four out of five seats.

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While in Ayodhya - the city of Lord Ram- the Ram Temple is no longer an emotive issue for voters. It is development and job creation that the voters want.

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"We want employment more than a temple. It in only the tourists who are providing livelihood to many but nothing much has been done for job creation," said Ashutosh Pandey, who has a whole cement business in Ayodhya.

A total of 1.84 crore voters will exercise their franchise at 18,822 polling booths at the fifth phase of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly election that began today. n all, 608 candidates are in the fray in this phase with maximum of 24 candidates in Amethi and minimum of six each in Kapilvastu and Etwa seats of Siddharth Nagar district. The fifth phase will see candidates contesting for 51 seats across 11 districts.

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