AMN
Moderate to Brisk Polling is going on for the third phase of assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh. About 40 percent polling has been recorded till 2.00 PM. Voting is taking place for 69 constituencies spread over 12 districts. Polling, which began at 7 AM, will end at 5 PM.
Polling is progressing smoothly barring some minor incidents. Voting was affected at some booths in Lucknow, Bijnaur, Kanpur Dehat and other places due to EVM machines which was rectified. Some incidents of poll boycott were also noticed at Laharpur of Sitapur and Rania Gogamau of Kanpur Dehat district due to some local issues. However, authorities finally persuaded voters to exercise their franchise.
Elaborate security arrangements have been made to ensure free and fair polling. The districts where polling is taking place in this phase are Farrukhabad, Hardoi, Kannauj, Mainpuri, Etawah, Kanpur, Kanpur Dehat, Auraiya, Lucknow, Unnao, Sitapur and Barabanki.
A report from Etawah said that stone pelting incident between SP and BJP supporters was received from Katiyapur booth in Jaswantnagar Assembly seat. Though none was injured in the incident but additional police were rushed to control the situation. There were also reports of stone throwing on the vehicle of SP candidate of Jaswant Nagar seat Shivpal Singh Yadav, but police did not confirm it. Reports said that due to lack of development couple of villages have boycotted the polling in Hardoi, Maninpur and Sitapur districts besides, newly wed couple, attired in their marriage dress voted in Barabanki, Kanpur( Dehat) and Unnao districts during the polling. In Lucknow, in order to attract the voters, EC this time decorated the polling booths besides offered tea and snacks to the voters at several booths. Besides, in some booths children coming with their parents were offered games under the supervision of senior officials and security personnel.