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11 February 2017, 17:23 PM
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
11 February 2017, 16:57 PM
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.
11 February 2017, 14:07 PM
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.
11 February 2017, 16:05 PM
By 3 pm, the voting percentage is 52.9%.
11 February 2017, 16:01 PM
Voter turnout till 3 pm:
Meerut – 54.62%
Muzaffarnagar – 54%
Mathura – 53%
Firozabad – 53.8%
Shamli – 52%
11 February 2017, 15:16 PM
45 percent votes polled till 2 pm in the first phase of Uttar Pradesh Assembly Elections.
11 February 2017, 13:40 PM
39.43% polling recorded in first phase of polling till 1 pm.
11 February 2017, 12:40 PM
As per initial reports, we are leading in this first phase: Union Minister Prakash Javadekar
11 February 2017, 11:33 AM
Taj city Agra led the voting percentage in the first phase of polling in Uttar Pradesh in the first four hours.
11 February 2017, 11:32 AM
24.50% voter turnout recorded till 11 am.
11 February 2017, 11:58 AM
Supporters of the Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party clashed today in Meerut over issues relating to voting.
11 February 2017, 11:30 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
11 February 2017, 11:19 AM
Union Minister Sanjeev Balyan casts his vote in Muzaffarnagar.
11 February 2017, 11:45 AM
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.
11 February 2017, 11:05 AM
11 February 2017, 10:33 AM
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.
11 February 2017, 10:15 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.
11 February 2017, 10:02 AM
10.56% voting in the first phase of Uttar Pradesh elections till 9 am.
Also Read: UP polls: Voting picks up within hours
11 February 2017, 09:31 AM
Congress candidate from Mathura Pradeep Mathur visits a temple to take the blessings of God.
11 February 2017, 08:32 AM
11 February 2017, 08:13 AM
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav urges people to "vote for development", tweets: "Be a part of Uttar Pradesh`s development. Vote for development."
11 February 2017, 07:08 AM
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.
11 February 2017, 09:27 AM
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
11 February 2017, 08:01 AM
"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."
11 February 2017, 09:21 AM
Poor voter turnout recorded in the first hour of polling in Noida. According to election officials, more voters are expected after 10 am.
11 February 2017, 07:26 AM
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.
11 February 2017, 07:36 AM
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.
11 February 2017, 08:56 AM
The turnout in the first hour was poor with mostly youngsters seen casting their ballots.
11 February 2017, 08:55 AM
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.
11 February 2017, 08:44 AM
Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Sangeet Som casts his vote in the constituency of Sardhana.
11 February 2017, 08:50 AM
The largest constituency in terms of electorate is Sahibabad, while Jalesar is the smallest.
11 February 2017, 08:00 AM
BJP Mathura candidate Shrikant Sharma casts his vote.
11 February 2017, 07:32 AM
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.
11 February 2017, 08:35 AM
Kairana, Thana Bhawan and Sikandarabad are other high-profile seats.
11 February 2017, 08:32 AM
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.
11 February 2017, 08:30 AM
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.
11 February 2017, 07:10 AM
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.
11 February 2017, 07:40 AM
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.
11 February 2017, 07:30 AM
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.
11 February 2017, 07:05 AM
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.
