UP civic polls: Lucknow creates history by voting to elect first woman mayor

UP’s capital on Sunday created history by voting to elect its first woman mayor. The seat has been reserved for a woman.

While the BJP is banking on Sanyukta Bhatia, the SP has selected Meera Vardhan, kin of educationist Acharya Narendra Dev. The BSP has picked former additional AG Bulbul Godiyal while the Congress has pitched Prema Awasthi, widow of former Congress legislator Surendra Nath Awasthi. In all, 19 candidates are in fray, including nine independents.

None of them have any criminal record. While 58 per cent candidates are graduates and 16 per cent are PhDs, the rest have passed intermediate examinations.“I feel our time has come…We’re getting good feedback,” says Bhatia, widow of Satish Bhatia, who was twice elected Lucknow Cantt MLA.


BSP’s Godiyal is “100 per cent confident” of her win. “In my door-todoor campaigns, I have been getting positive response.” SP’s Vardhan talked about names missing in electoral rolls. “Many wards have been split into two. Perhaps this is the reason behind missing names.”