Voting in 11 districts for the first phase of Uttar Pradesh’s parliamentary elections began on Thursday morning, with former Congress president Rahul Gandhi urging people to vote to free the country from “fear”.
“Get this country free of all fears – come out and vote!” the Congressional leader tweeted.
Voting for the first stage of the Uttar Pradesh parliamentary elections began at 7:00 am on Thursday.
The first phase of the polls covered the Jat-dominated strip in western Uttar Pradesh, covering 58 parliamentary constituencies in 11 districts in the state.
The polling areas are Shamli, Meerut, Hapur, Muzaffarnagar, Baghpat, Ghaziabad, Bulandshahar, Aligarh, Agra, Gautam Buddha Nagar and Mathura.
Voting will close at 6:00 pm today at 25,849 polling stations and 10,766 polling centres.
As many as 623 candidates are vying for the 58 parliamentary seats that go to polls today.
As is customary, the campaign for the first phase of the UP polls ended at 6pm on Tuesday (February 8), marking the beginning of a 48-hour silence period.
Police have sealed the state’s borders and are on strict vigilance to keep the peace in the 58 constituencies where elections are underway.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier in the day urged all voters in Uttar Pradesh to participate in the elections while adhering to the necessary COVID-19 guidelines.
“Today is the first phase of voting for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly Election and I ask all voters to enthusiastically participate in this sacred democratic festival in accordance with the rules of COVID. Remember – vote first, refreshment second,” Prime Minister Modi tweeted in India local language.
The 403-member Uttar Pradesh Assembly is scheduled to vote in seven phases on February 10, 14, 20, 23, 27, March 3 and 7. Counting will take place on March 10.
Complete News Source : Business Standard
