Uttar Pradesh bypoll: 11 Assembly seats and one Lok Sabha seat contested

Polling began on a brisk note today in the by-elections to 11 Assembly seats and one Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh, amid elaborate security arrangements. Around 9% votes were cast in the first two hours, according to poll officials.

Security personnel, including those of the central forces, have been deployed in constituencies to ensure free and fair elections and micro observers have also been deployed at all polling centres, according to the election office. Video recording and photography would be conducted at all the polling centres.

The Assembly seats where bypolls are being held include Saharanpur city, Bijnor, Thakurdwara, Noida, Nighasan Lucknow east, Hamirpur, Charkhari, Sirathu, Balha and Rohania, as also in Mainpuri Lok Sabha seat which was vacated by SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav.

Eleven Vidhan Sabha seats felt vacant after 10 BJP MLAs and one of its ally, Apna Dal were elected to the Lok Sabha.

Arrangement of web casting has been made at 176 sensitive poling stations.

While BSP is not contesting the bypoll, Congress and SP have fielded candidates on all 11 assembly seats, whereas BJP is contesting on 10 and its ally Apna Dal on one. In Mainpuri BSP and Congress have not fielded their candidates. Here the contest is between Mulayam's relative Tej Pratap Singh and BJP's Shiv Singh Shakya. 

Perhaps for the first time in Uttar Pradesh's recent electoral history, the prestige of some top national-level leaders, including that of the incumbent prime minister, is involved in a by-election, normally considered infra dig by senior politicians.

The by-election to 11 Assembly and one Lok Sabha seat, to be held on Saturday, involves names which will have any political watcher's eyes popping. The galaxy of A-listers includes prime minister Narendra Modi, BJP chief Amit Shah, home minister Rajnath Singh, Samajwadi Party (SP) president Mulayam Singh Yadav, and Union Ministers Kalraj Mishra and Uma Bharti.

Also Read: It's Centre versus state government in UP by-poll today