Polling began on Wednesday amidst tight security for the third phase of Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections for 56 seats in 10 districts that will decide the fate of three cabinet ministers, a minister of state, 29 sitting MLAs and 14 former ministers.
“Voting began at 7 a.m. for the third phase of assembly elections and is continuing peacefully amidst tight security arrangements,” the Chief Electoral Officer, Mr Umesh Sinha, told PTI.
More than 1.75 crore voters are expected to cast their votes to seal the fate of 1,018 candidates in the polling to be held in CSM Nagar, Sultanpur, Kaushambi, Allahabad, Jaunpur, Chandauli, Varanasi, Sant Ravidas Nagar, Mirzapur and Sonbhadra.
Fate of 1,018 candidates in 10 districts, including Amethi and Rae Bareli, bastion of Nehru-Gandhi family, and naxal-infested districts Chandauli, Sonbhadra and Mirzapur would be decided in the third phase.
Mr Sinha said that polling would end by 4 p.m. in naxal-affected area of Chakia in Sonbhadra and Duddhi in Robertsganj of Sonbhadra.
In this phase, 2,025 polling stations have been identified as sensitive and 1,766 as hyper-sensitive.
The CEO said that polling was being held at 18,374 polling booths at 11,607 polling stations where 1,122 video cameras and 1,190 digital cameras have been installed to maintain a vigil on poll process.
Stakes are high for the ruling BSP, the Congress, the SP and the BJP in the no-holds barred fight for the 403 assembly seats.