UP elections: Polling starts on dull note

Lucknow, Feb 23: Polling for the fifth phase of UP assembly elections covering 49 seats spread over 13 district, including Bundelkhand region, started on a dull note with only 9.88% votes being cast in the first two hours.

Polling started at 7am amidst tight security arrangements and 9.88% votes were cast in the first two hours of voting, Chief Electoral Officer of UP Umesh Sinha said here.

Maximum 13.5% votes were polled in Mainpuri, followed by 13.33% in Etah district.

Minimum 8% polling was registered in Hamirpur and Etawah districts.

Fate of 829 candidates, including that of Leader of Opposition in the state assembly Shivpal Singh Yadav, BJP leader Uma Bharati and former UP chief minister Kalyan Singh would be decided by more than 1.56 crore electorate.

Polling is underway in Firozabad, Kanshiram Nagar, Etah, Mainpuri, Etawah, Auraiya, Ramabainagar, Kanpur, Jalaun, Jhansi, Lalitpur, Hamirpur and Mahoba districts.

The polling is being held at 17,267 polling stations at 11,745 centres. While 2,104 stations have been identified as sensitive, 2,256 have been marked as hyper-sensitive.

To check any irregularity at polling stations, 981 video cameras and 2,100 digital cameras have been installed, Sinha said.

The fifth phase would cover assembly seats in backward Bundelkhand region, bastions of SP and former chief minister Kalyan Singh.

In this phase, Shivpal Singh Yadav is seeking re-election from Jaswantnagar seat in Etawah district.

Fate of firebrand leader Uma Bharati, who is making her debut in UP electoral politics, would be put to test from Charkhari seat in Mahoba district.

Charisma and political strength of former UP chief minister Kalyan Singh would also be tested in this phase when elections would be held in his stronghold of Etah.

PTI