First phase UP Elections 2017: As it happened

Polling time ends for the first phase of Uttar Pradesh assembly elections. 

Polling time ends for the first phase of #UttarPradeshelections, visuals from Mathura. pic.twitter.com/DW1dVys5Sf

— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 11, 2017

Around 54 percent voters exercised their franchise till 4 pm in 73 Assembly constituencies in the first of the seven-phase UP polls, with some stray incidents reported from Baghpat and Meerut.

By 3 pm, the voting percentage is 52.9%.

Voter turnout till 3 pm:

Meerut – 54.62%

Muzaffarnagar – 54%

Mathura – 53%

Firozabad – 53.8%

Shamli – 52%

45 percent votes polled till 2 pm in the first phase of Uttar Pradesh Assembly Elections.

Uttar Pradesh Labour and Employment Minister Shahid Manzoor faces a hostile crowd in Meerut`s Kithaur constituency. The 61-year-old politician, who is the incumbent legislator from Kithaur constituency, was greeted with slogans and some people also pelted stones at him, after which he beat a hasty retreat.

39.43% polling recorded in first phase of polling till 1 pm.

As per initial reports, we are leading in this first phase: Union Minister Prakash Javadekar

Supporters of the Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party clashed today in Meerut over issues relating to voting.

Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati says there is a big BSP wave across the state and the reports she is getting from the first phase of voting are very positive. Only BSP can provide an ideal government in UP. Congress-SP alliance and BJP are trying to misguide people but now people know their real face, adds Mayawati.

Taj city Agra led the voting percentage in the first phase of polling in Uttar Pradesh in the first four hours.

24.50% voter turnout recorded till 11 am.

In Agra, 28 percent voting till 11 am, Muzaffarnagar - 27 percent, Bulandshahr - 24 percent, Firozabad - 21 percent, Baghpat - 26 percent, Ghaziabad - 25.71 percent, Shamli - 29 percent

Union Minister Sanjeev Balyan casts his vote in Muzaffarnagar.

UP polls: Candidates confident of win

Queues at polling booths in Noida grew longer as the day progressed during the first phase of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls. Voters of all ages came in big numbers as the polling entered the third hour after starting at 7 am.

The Uttar Pradesh Police detains Gagan Som, the brother of BJP candidate Sangeet Som, from Sardhana (Meerut), for carrying a pistol inside a poll booth.

10.56% voting in the first phase of Uttar Pradesh elections till 9 am. 

Also Read: UP polls: Voting picks up within hours

Congress candidate from Mathura Pradeep Mathur visits a temple to take the blessings of God.

In Noida, 7 percent voting was registered till 9 am; in Muzaffarnagar - 13 percent. Firozabad - 12 percent, Dadri - 8 percent, Jewar - 8 percent, Baghpat - 13 percent, Aligarh - 10.5 percent, Bulandshahr - 12 percent 

Poor voter turnout recorded in the first hour of polling in Noida. According to election officials, more voters are expected after 10 am. 

The turnout in the first hour was poor with mostly youngsters seen casting their ballots.

Polling was delayed due to technical snags in electronic voting machines (EVMs) at four polling stations -- Sardhana, Baghpat, Hathras and Noida. Four booth level officers (BLOs) did not turn up at Dayalbagh in Agra, delaying the polling by over 40 minutes, an official said.

The largest constituency in terms of electorate is Sahibabad, while Jalesar is the smallest. 

Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Sangeet Som casts his vote in the constituency of Sardhana.

Kairana, Thana Bhawan and Sikandarabad are other high-profile seats.
 

UP polls: Modi, Akhilesh Yadav appeal to vote

In Meerut city, former state BJP president and sitting MLA Laxmikant Bajpayi is being challenged in a triangular contest by SP-Congress combine's Rafiq Ansari and BSP's Pankaj Jolly. 
 

Prominent seats which have attracted attention include Noida from where Pankaj Singh, son of Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh is contesting; Mathura where senior Congress leader Pradip Mathur is locked in a direct battle with Shrikant Sharma, the national spokesman of the BJP and Sardhana where BJP's Sangeet Som is challenged by SP's Atul Pradhan.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav urges people to "vote for development", tweets: "Be a part of Uttar Pradesh`s development. Vote for development."

"It is not an election of nepotism, but nationalism," says Shrikant Sharma. Talking to news agency ANI, Sharma adds: "Election is like a festival in a democracy. This is the election of change. This is not the BJP, but the election of the people of UP. People need change. They want good governance, development. People want freedom from Mafias. Crime, corruption should be eradicated. Mayawati and Akhilesh government failed in setting these things right. The basic needs of people have not been fulfilled here."

BJP Mathura candidate Shrikant Sharma casts his vote.

Security has been tightened in sensitive areas -- Shamli, Aligarh, Muzaffarnagar, Mathura, Bulandshahr and Agra. In all, 826 companies of central forces have been stationed for the first phase of polling.
 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi urges voters to participate in the biggest festival of democracy. "Today (Saturday) is the first phase of poll in Uttar Pradesh. All the voters must participate in the grand festival of democracy and cast their vote in huge number," Modi tweets. 

Polling delayed in booth no 42 in Mathura's Govardhan, and in booth numbers 119 and 120 in Baghpat as EVMs are not working, reports news agency ANI.

The maximum number of candidates (26) are contesting from Agra south. The least number of candidates -- six each -- are from Hastinapur, Iglas and Loni seats.

In an unique attempt to appreciate women coming out to cast their vote, the Election Commission of India has asked its officials deployed at polling booths in Baraut to give a red rose to all the female voters.

There are 2.59 crore voters who would exercise their franchise today, of which 1.42 crore are men, 1.17 crore women and 1,511 from the third gender.
 

The districts going to polls in this phase are Shamli, Muzaffarnagar, Baghpat, Meerut, Ghaziabad, Gautam Buddh Nagar, Hapur, Bulandshahr, Aligarh, Mathura, Hathras, Agra, Firozabad, Etah and Kasganj.

Polling for 73 Assembly constituencies spread across 15 districts in western Uttar Pradesh began at 7.00 am on Saturday amid tight security. In the first of the seven-phased staggered elections in the state, a total of 839 candidates are in the fray. Police officials said adequate security arrangements have been made for the keenly-fought contest.