For seven senior ministers in the Mayawati government, the sixth phase of elections will be a battle for survival.
While the BSP faces an intense anti-incumbency wave across the state, the challenge before these ministers is to save their citadels and retain their position in the party hierarchy.
Power minister Ramvir Upadhyay is seeking a fourth term from Sikandrarau seat in Mahamaya Nagar. The minister is one of the most powerful Brahmin leaders in the BSP and his wife Seema Upadhyay is the BSP MP from Fatehpur Sikri while his brother Mukul Upadhyay is a BSP MLC. Ramvir Upadhyay is facing a probe on corruption charges by the lokayukta and his rivals who are using this to target him in their campaign.
Agriculture minister Choudhury Laxmi Narain had emerged as one of the favourites in the Mayawati regime after he played a key role in defusing agitation related to land acquisition in western UP. A four-time legislator, he is seeking his fifth term from Chhata in Mathura district and is being challenged by Thakur Tejpal Singh of the RLD who is cashing in on the anti-incumbency factor.
Minister for home guards Vedram Bhati has shifted to Jewar seat in Gautam Buddha Nagar following delimitation and is banking on Gujjar votes to return to the state Assembly. He is also facing a tough challenge from the RLD candidate who is using the Bhatta Parsaul incident to hit out at the BSP.
Minister for rural engineering Thakur Jaiveer Singh is contesting for a second term from Barauli Assembly segment in Aligarh district. He is pitted against his old rival Dalbir Singh of the RLD.
Lakhiram Nagar, minister for small irrigation, is contesting the Muslim-dominated Kithore seat in Meerut district. He has had to change his seat following delimitation and is now facing a tough challenge from sitting Samajwadi MLA Shahid Manzoor.
Another senior BSP minister who will be trying his luck in the sixth phase is Dharam Singh Saini who holds the basic education portfolio.