UP municipal election: Phase 1 voting underway in 37 districts
Voting for the first phase of urban body elections in Uttar Pradesh began at 7:00am on Thursday. According to the State Election Commission (SEC), citizens in 37 districts will vote in the first phase to elect 7,593 representatives, including 10 mayors and 820 corporators, reported PTI. The polling will continue till 6:00pm, the election body added.
Over 2.4 crore people to vote in Phase 1
The SEC further stated that more than 2.4 crore people would decide the fate of 275 candidates running for the posts of nagar panchayat chairperson and 3,645 nagar panchayat members. A total of 44,232 candidates are competing in the first phase of the elections. SEC officials added that 85 representatives, including 10 corporators, have already been elected unopposed.
CM Adityanath, BSP chief Mayawati cast votes
Several politicians, including Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Deputy CM Brajesh Pathak, Union Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) President Mayawati, have cast their votes for the UP civic polls. "The weather is pleasant in May. I think it is God's blessing so that people can elect a good urban government and cast their votes," Adityanath told reporters in Gorakhpur.
I appeal to citizens to go and vote: Mayawati
9.98% voter turnout until 9:00am
Per SEC, 9.98% voter turnout was recorded until 9:00am. The prominent districts where the polling is being held are Saharanpur, Agra, Moradabad, Firozabad, Mathura, Jhansi, Prayagraj, Lucknow, Gorakhpur, and Varanasi. The election body said that voting for the second phase of elections will take place on May 11, while the counting of votes for both phases will be held on May 13.
