The region is dominated by Muslim electorate. There are around two dozen seats where Muslims are 40 percent plus. Some of the prominent Muslim faces of Samajwadi Party come from this region. They include Azam Khan (Rampur), Javed Ali Khan (Sambhal), Safiqur Rahman (Sambhal), Salim Iqbal Sherwani (Badaun), Imran Masood (Saharanpur), Mahboob Ali (Amroha), Kamal Akhtar (Amroha) and Iqbal Mahmood (Sambhal).At stake will be the political future of these leaders. Plus, the region will also test Muslim and Yadav unity for the first time in this election. Though Jats are a balancing factor in Saharanpur, Bijnor and Amroha, in Sambhal, Badaun and Bareilly Yadavs will hold the key.In the last assembly election in 2017, 38 of the 58 seats in the Rohilkhand region were won by the BJP. This time, Samajwadi Party is hoping to bounce back, banking on the return of a big chunk of Yadav and Jat voters from BJP. The party is also hoping that votes of Muslims and Yadavs will not split as they did in 2017.In 2017 Muslim votes were divided between BSP, AIMIM, Peace Party, RLD and the SP-Congress alliance. The BSP had put up a strong fight in 2017, bringing down the SP-Congress alliance and thus helping the BJP. Also, the AIMIM voters dented the hopes of the SP-Congress alliance on several seats including Kanth in Moradabad.Prominent candidates for the second phase include Azam Khan (Rampur, his son Abdullah Azam (Swar, Rampur), Mahboob Ali (Amroha), Iqbal Mahmood (Sambhal), Kamal Akhtar (Kanth, Moradabad), Ziaur Rahman (Kundarki, Amroha), Vivek Singh (Dhanuara, Amroha), Dharam Singh Saini (Nakur, Saharanpur). Zia is the grandson of SP Lok Sabha MP Shafiqur Rahman Barq, and Vivek Singh is the son of ex BSP MP Vir Singh. Also in fray is Umar Ali (Behat, Saharanpur), the son in law of Ahmed Bukhari. They are contesting as Samajwadi Party candidates.
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