 "UP Assembly elections: Voter turnout for first phase at 64%, says EC")
6:55 pm update: Voting ends for first phase of UP Assembly elections. Election Commission says that tentative polling percentage at 64%
3 pm update:People have turned out in huge numbers to cast thier vote in the first phase of elections in Uttar Pradesh. 52 per cent voting was recorded when the reports last came in at 3 pm.
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2 pm update: In the first phase of elections in Uttar Pradesh, 45 per cent voting was recoded in the 73 districts.
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Noon Update: Around 37 per cent votes were today polled till noon in 73 Assembly constituencies in the first of the seven-phase UP polls being seen as a litmus test for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's nearly three-year rule.
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11 am Update: A 29 per cent voting in Shamli till 11 am
has been reported. Ghaziabad has recorded 25.71 per cent of voting while Baghpat recorded 26 per cent voting.
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Update: Kasganj witnessed 13 per cent polling in the first two hours, Muzaffarnagar 15, Meerut 10, Mathura 11, Noida seven and Greater Noida nine per cent.
3 pm update:People have turned out in huge numbers to cast thier vote in the first phase of elections in Uttar Pradesh. 52 per cent voting was recorded when the reports last came in at 3 pm.
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2 pm update: In the first phase of elections in Uttar Pradesh, 45 per cent voting was recoded in the 73 districts.
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Noon Update: Around 37 per cent votes were today polled till noon in 73 Assembly constituencies in the first of the seven-phase UP polls being seen as a litmus test for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's nearly three-year rule.
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11 am Update: A 29 per cent voting in Shamli till 11 am
has been reported. Ghaziabad has recorded 25.71 per cent of voting while Baghpat recorded 26 per cent voting.
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Update: Kasganj witnessed 13 per cent polling in the first two hours, Muzaffarnagar 15, Meerut 10, Mathura 11, Noida seven and Greater Noida nine per cent.
Technical snags in the electronic voting machines (EVMs) were reported in the first hour in polling booths across Noida, Baghpat, Hathras and Mathura.
An EC official informed IANS that these problems were being attended to on a priority basis and EVMs at some places were replaced.
Bright sunshine helped voter turnout to improve at many places, especially in the minority dominated areas.
Long queues were seen in places like Mathura, Agra, Muzaffarnagar, Meerut (City), Sardhana, Shamli and Noida.
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PollingUpdate: 10.56% voting has been reported in the first phase of Uttar Pradesh elections till 9 am.
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9 am Update: A decent 15% polling was reported from Muzaffarnagar district of Uttar Pradesh till 9 am.
Many sensitive areas of the state are having polls today like Shamli, Aligarh, Bhatta Parsol and Mathura.
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Voting has begun in the first phase of Uttar Pradesh assembly elections on Saturday morning.
The election process will be held in 73 assembly constituencies spread across 15 districts of the state. A total of 2.60 crore voters, including over 1.17 crore women and 1,508 belonging to third gender category are eligible to cast their ballots in 26,823 polling stations to decide the fate of 839 candidates.
The first phase of polling will decide the electoral fortunes of Pankaj Singh (Noida seat), son of Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Congress Legislature Party leader Pradeep Mathur (Mathura) against whom BJP spokesman Srikant Sharma is in fray, Mriganka Singh (Kairana), daughter of BJP MP Hukum Singh and controversial BJP MLAs Sangeet Som and Suresh Rana - Sardhana and Thanabhawan respectively.
Former BJP state president Lakshmikant Bajpai (Meerut), RJD chief Lalu Prasad's son-in-law Rahul Singh (SP) from Sikandarabad, and Sandeep Singh, grandson of Rajasthan Governor Kalyan Singh from Atrauli are among other key figures in this phase.
The first phase of polling will decide the electoral fortunes of Pankaj Singh (Noida seat), son of Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Congress Legislature Party leader Pradeep Mathur (Mathura) against whom BJP spokesman Srikant Sharma is in fray, Mriganka Singh (Kairana), daughter of BJP MP Hukum Singh and controversial BJP MLAs Sangeet Som and Suresh Rana - Sardhana and Thanabhawan respectively.
Former BJP state president Lakshmikant Bajpai (Meerut), RJD chief Lalu Prasad's son-in-law Rahul Singh (SP) from Sikandarabad, and Sandeep Singh, grandson of Rajasthan Governor Kalyan Singh from Atrauli are among other key figures in this phase.
Elaborate security arrangements have been made for smooth polling, especially in sensitive areas of Shamli, Aligarh, Muzaffarnagar, Mathura, Bulandshahr and Agra.
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The electoral battle in the state has grabbed all eyeballs, be it the electoral merger between the Congress and the Samajwadi Party or the infighting within the first family of this politically crucial state.
The Samajwadi Party is looking ahead to retain power in the state, the Congress, with a political merger with the former, hopes to resurrect its position. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) are, however, trying to regain its lost glory in the politically-crucial state.
With the Congress and the Samajwadi Party formally sealing the alliance, the BJP made efforts to seal deal with other smaller parties to ensure it achieves the mandate.
Voting in Uttar Pradesh will be done in seven phases — February 11, 15, 19, 23, 27, March 4 and 8. The counting of votes will take place on March 11.