Brisk polling in Uttar Pradesh, litmus test for BJP’s Yogi Adityanath

Lucknow: Polling began on a brisk note on Saturday in the by-elections to 11 Assembly seats and one Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh, amid elaborate security arrangements.

Around nine per cent 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 was being 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.

The results will likely have a major impact on the political career of BJP’s Gorakhpur MP Yogi Adityanath, who was heading the election campaign in the state. Yogi had addressed 10 public meetings.

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.