UP Polls: Over 48 per cent voting till 3 PM

Lucknow: An average of 48.81 percent voting was recorded till 3 PM on Sunday in 59 Assembly constituencies in the third phase of elections in Uttar Pradesh.

Polling started at 7 AM and will continue till 6 PM.

According to the data shared by the Election Commission, the average polling percentage till 3 PM was 50,15 percent in Hathras, 51.23 percent in Firozabad, 50.75 percent in Kasganj, 53.23 percent in Etah, 52.44 percent in Mainpuri, 46.19.10 percent in Farrukhabad, 50.23 percent in Kannauj and 50.42 percent in Etawah.

The voting percentage of 48.30 percent in Auraiya, 47.13 percent in Kanpur Dehat, 41.15 percent in Kanpur Nagar, 46.87 percent in Jalaun, 48.52 percent in Jhansi, 59.13 percent in Lalitpur, 50.74 percent in Hamirpur and 51.72 percent in Mahoba.

As many as 627 candidates are in the fray in this phase, in which over 2.15 crore people are eligible to vote in 16 districts.

In the 2017 UP Assembly elections, the polling percentage in these districts was 62.21 percent, the Election Commission said.

In the 2017 Assembly elections, the BJP had won 49 of the 59 seats while the SP had settled for nine. The Congress had got one seat while the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) drew a blank.

Among the high-profile candidates is Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav who is contesting from Karhal assembly seat. The BJP has fielded Union minister S P Singh Baghel against him. Akhilesh Yadav's uncle Shivpal Singh Yadav is contesting from his traditional Jaswantnagar seat.

The prominent political leaders who cast their votes on Sunday were SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav, Akhilesh Yadav, Dimple Yadav, Shivpal Singh Yadav, Ramgopal Yadav, Congress leader Salman Khurshid, UP BJP chief Swatantra Dev Singh and UP minister Satish Mahana.

Meanwhile, Kanpur Mayor Pramila Pandey and former BJP office-bearer Nawab Singh have landed in trouble for posting videos in which they are seen casting their vote inside the polling booth.

Pandey took her mobile phone inside the polling booth at Hudson School and clicked a selfie while voting following which an FIR has been lodged against her, said a senior official.

The Election Commission has banned the use of mobile phones inside polling stations.

The mayor has shared a video that has gone viral on social media platforms.

District Magistrate Neha Sharma said the Kanpur Mayor has violated the rules of the Election Commission by revealing the name of the party she voted for.

Former city president of BJP's Yuva Morcha was also allegedly caught while violating rules. Singh took a mobile inside the booth and shot a video while casting vote.

The 2022 assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh will be held in seven phases. The results are scheduled to be announced on March 10.