61.16% voter turnout in third phase of Uttar Pradesh assembly election till 5 pm

In 2012 the SP had won 55 of the 69 seats, while BSP, BJP and Congress secured just 6, 5 and 2 seats respectively.

Lucknow, Feb 19: In Uttar Pradesh voting begins in the third phase on Sunday. It is a crucial phase of elections in which the fate of 826 candidates will be decided. The districts which would go to polls are Farrukhabad, Hardoi, Kannauj, Mainpuri, Etawah, Auraiya, Kanpur Dehat, Kanpur, Unnao, Lucknow, Barabanki and Sitapur.

In 2012 the SP had won 55 of the 69 seats, while BSP, BJP and Congress secured just 6, 5 and 2 seats respectively. One seat went to an independent.

In this round, all eyes are candidates of the Yadav clan, like Shivpal Singh Yadav, Mulayam Singh Yadav's daughter-in-law Aparna Yadav, Akhilesh Yadav's cousin Anurag Yadav. The fate of BJP's Rita Bahuguna Joshi will also be decided in this round.

For total 826 candidates who are in fray, fate will be decided by 2.41 crore voters, including 1.10 crore women and 1,026 belonging to third gender category. Heavy security deployment has been made across the 12 districts where polling began. Sensitive polling stations marked by the Election Commission (EC) are being monitored online, an official said.

Poll panel officials said they hope that more and more people will come out to vote this time and that the previous turnout of 59.96 per cent in this region in 2012 will be bettered by the end of the day.

Follow our live coverage here.

06:11 pm: 61.16% voter turnout in the third phase of Uttar Pradesh assembly election till 5pm

05.41 pm: Over 55 per cent turnout till 4 pm.

04.16 pm: We will give interest free loans to farmers in UP just like I have done in MP, says Shivraj Singh Chauhan CM MP at an election rally in Jaunpur.

03.58 pm: 53 percent voting in UP elections third phase till 3 pm

03.21 pm: Over 44% votes cast till 2 PM in 69 assembly constituencies, considered ruling samajwadi party stronghold, in phase-III of UP polls.

2.44 pm: Want to tell BJP that it is not the alliance of two families but of two young politicians to bring about change: Akhilesh Yadav while addressing election rally in Jhansi.

1.33 pm: 38.96% voter turnout till 1 pm.

1.24 pm: PM Narendra Modi addressing an election rally in Fatehpur.

12.51 pm: Navneet Sehgal, Principal Secretary,UP Govt casts his vote with his wife in Lucknow.

12.46 pm: Dimple Yadav casts her vote in Saifai, says, let's be progressive and think about the future.

12.36 pm: Shivpal (Singh Yadav) will win by a large margin: Mulayam Singh Yadav in Saifai.

12.28 pm: BJP's Sarojini Nagar (Lucknow) candidate Swati Singh casts her vote. She's contesting agnst BSP's Shankari Singh&SP's Anurag Yadav.

Modiji ko kehne do jo kehna hai, godh SP ko liya hai UP ne: Mulayam Singh Yadav #UPPolls2017 pic.twitter.com/Q748Sl96lh

— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 19, 2017

12:19 pm: Developmental work has been done in UP and Akhilesh will once again be the CM: Mulayam Singh Yadav

#UPPolls Phase-3: 100-year-old Kaniz Fatima casts her vote at a polling booth in Sitapur. pic.twitter.com/9r79NZZCyD

— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 19, 2017

Mulayam Singh Yadav, accompanied by daughter-in-law Aparna Yadav, leaves after casting his vote in Saifai #uppolls2017 pic.twitter.com/Q8CvGjgeR5

— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 19, 2017

11.55 am: Mulayam Singh Yadav reaches to cast his vote in Saifai.

11.54 am: BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj casts his vote in Unnao

#UpPolls2017 Union Minister and senior BJP leader Kalraj Mishra casts his vote at Ganna Sansthan booth in Lucknow. pic.twitter.com/1THjTPHGBR

— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 19, 2017

11.22 am: 26.6% voting in Kannauj, 29% in Sitapur and 20.68% in Kanpur till 11 AM.

11.12 am: District Magistrate Kaushal Raj Sharma casts his vote at booth no. 27 in Kanpur.

10.52 am: Union Minister and BJP leader Uma Bharti casts her vote at booth no 149 in Lucknow.

A newly wed couple cast their vote in Unnao, Uttar Pradesh #uppolls2017 pic.twitter.com/K5rIimPRT6

— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 19, 2017

10.25 am: Senior Congress leader and former Union Minister Prakash Jaiswal casts his vote in Kanpur.

10.23 am: There is no conflict within the party, everyone is united. SP-Congress win will be historic: Prateek Yadav after casting vote in Saifai.

10.15 am: There is a BJP wave in Uttar Pradesh, BSP and SP are fighting for 2nd and third place: Pankaj Singh, BJP after casting vote in Lucknow.

10.08 am: Once again Samajwadi Party will be forming the Govt,in alliance with Congress: CM Akhilesh Yadav in Saifai.

10.07 am: We were ahead in first 2 phases and I am confident that we will be ahead in 3rd phase also:CM Akhilesh Yadav after casting vote in Saifai.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh casts his vote in Lucknow #uppolls2017 (earlier visuals) pic.twitter.com/wq9ffVS9V4

— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 19, 2017

9.52 am: Not only clear majority, BJP is winning by absolute majority in Uttar Pradesh: HM Rajnath Singh after casting vote in Lucknow.

9.41 am: Chief Electoral Officer of Uttar Pradesh T Venkatesh cast his vote in Lucknow.

9.28 am: 12% voting in third phase of polling in Uttar Pradesh till 9 am.

9.19 am: Voting percentage till 9 am- Kanpur Nagar 7.71%, Kannauj 11.65% and Sitapur 11%.

9.15 am: Like in the first two phases, in the third phase also BSP will be no.1 and will form the Govt with a majority: Mayawati after casting vote

9.00 am: BSP chief Mayawati arrives to cast her vote in Lucknow (poll booth no.251)

8.50 am: Alliance between SP & Congress is going to be devastating for Congress party: Rita Bahuguna Joshi, BJP

8.30 am: Mulayam ji's emotional appeal points to the fact that Aparna Yadav is losing: Rita Bahuguna Joshi, BJP after casting vote in Lucknow

8.18 am: BJP Spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi cast his vote in a polling booth in Sherwood Academy.

7.53 am: There is no infighting at all as far as voting is concerned, we are winning 300+ seats: Ramgopal Yadav after casting vote in Saifai

Hardoi: SP candidate Nitin Agarwaal waits as EVM machine in booth number 198 is not working #uppolls2017 pic.twitter.com/Eryp5twJgT

— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 19, 2017

Parivaar mein sab theek hai, hamaari sarkar ban rahi hai phir se: Abhay Ram Yadav(brother of Mulayam) after casting vote in Saifai pic.twitter.com/vUu1dQTNaK

— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 19, 2017

Queues outside polling booth no.253 in Lucknow Montessori Inter College #uppolls2017 pic.twitter.com/xDyvXF0u0p

— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 19, 2017

Queues outside polling booth no.253 in Lucknow Montessori Inter College #uppolls2017 pic.twitter.com/xDyvXF0u0p

— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 19, 2017

Voting underway at a polling booth in Sultanul Madaris school in Old Lucknow #uppolls2017 pic.twitter.com/Fvw6Y96iZ4

— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 19, 2017

7.00 am: Voting begins in third phase of UP elections.

Third phase of voting in Uttar Pradesh elections to begin shortly. Visuals from a polling booth in old Lucknow pic.twitter.com/4TUH3x1Xm6

— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 19, 2017

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