Voting begins in UP Phase 4 elections

TIL Desk/National/UP/ Polling began morning in 53 constituencies spread over 12 districts that figure in the fourth phase of the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections. The districts include the backward Bundelkhand region and the Nehru-Gandhi pocket borough of Rae Bareli. Assembly segments in Congress President Sonia Gandhi’s Rae Bareli Lok Sabha constituency are among the seats where the electoral exercise is taking place. However, in a first since 1998, Gandhi gave campaigning a miss in her constituency.

Other districts, where polling is going on amid tight security are Pratapgarh, Kaushambi, Allahabad, Jalaun, Jhansi, Lalitpur, Mahoba, Banda, Hamirpur, Chitrakoot and Fatehpur. Backward and water-scarce Bundelkhand region also figures in this phase.

Inter district and inter state borders have been sealed.Patrolling by security forces has been intensified in poll-bound areas and most of the polling centres are manned by the central Para Military Forces. The fate of 680 candidates will be decided by 1.84 crore voters including 84 lakh women and 1,032 of third gender.

The maximum number of 26 candidates are from Allahabad North, while only six candidates are in fray in Khaga (Fatehpur), Manjhanpur (Kaushambi) and Kunda (Pratapgarh). Bahujan Samaj Party has fielded its nominees in all 53 seats, while Bharatiya Janata Party’s nominees are fielded in 48 constituencies, leaving 6 seats for its ally Apana Dal.