Utter Pradesh: The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has held over 40 meetings in Varanasi and other eastern Uttar Pradesh districts in the last 50 days even as the party has asked its workers to apprise the people about the Centre and state government’s welfare schemes. Samajwadi Party (SP), which is hoping to return to power in Uttar Pradesh, has organised around 20 meetings in Varanasi and adjoining areas alone as political parties have kicked off their electoral activities from the state’s eastern region ahead of the assembly elections early next year.The BJP won 34 seats, Apna Dal (S) four, SuheldevBharatiyaSamaj Party (SBSP) three, SP 12 seats, and BahujanSamaj Party seven of the 61 assembly seats in eastern Uttar Pradesh in 2017. With 312 seats in the 403-member House, the BJP swept to power in the state over four years back. The Congress managed to win just seven seats, BSP 19, SP 47 in the 2017 polls.SP leader AshutoshSinha said he has held meetings with party workers in Varanasi, Jaunpur, Sonbhadra, Ghazipur, and Chandauli to mobilise them for the 2022 election. He added he has also met ZillaParishad heads in these districts. “Several meetings have also been held in Ballia, Azamgarh, Bhadohi, and Mirzapur.”