Lucknow: Amid tight security cover, polling for third phase of Uttar Pradesh assembly elections started today for 69 seats spread out in 12 districts. Election Commission sources here said the polling started on a smooth note in all the 69 constituencies at 0700 hrs and will end at 1700 hrs. Sources said except for some teething problems in the operation of Electronic Voting Machines ( EVMs), the polling started off peacefully.
Voters in Lucknow and Kanpur were witnessed rushing to the booths after morning walk to avoid late hour rush. In the third phase of polls, the central parts of the state -- Yadav heartland and Awadh region -- will witness a keen tussle of ballots. Two major towns of the state --Lucknow and Kanpur-- will go to the polls in this phase. There are 826 candidates, including 105 women, in the fray in the third phase of polling in which around 14 per cent have criminal cases and 31 per cent are crorepatis (multi-millionaires).
The highest number of 21 candidates are in the fray from Etawah seat, while the lowest of three candidates from Haidergarh seat in Barabanki district. A total of 2.41-crore electorate are expected to exercise their franchise in the third phase of polling comprising1.31-crore male, 1.10 crore female and 1,026 third gender. There are over four lakh new youth voters in this phase. There are 25,603 polling booths in this phase including 3618 identified as hyper sensitive.(UNI)
