UP polls 2022 Updates: Bulandshahr, Muzaffarnagar cross 60%-mark voter turnout till 5 pm

As the first phase of assembly elections commenced in UP, Meerut saw 55.7% voter turnout till 5 pm on Thursday.

Talk about the zest to vote, a groom reached Char Khamba polling station in the Sadar assembly seat here to cast his vote before taking his marriage procession on Thursday. Balram reached the polling station in a motorcycle after performing the ‘Ghudchadhi ceremony’. The first phase of polling, which started at 7 am and will continue till 6 pm, is being held in 58 assembly seats spread across 11 districts in the western part of Uttar Pradesh.

Amid reports of technical snag in EVMs at some places, polling is going on peacefully in Uttar Pradesh on Thursday with an average of over 48 per cent votes being cast till 3 pm, Election Commission officials said. The first phase of polling, which started at 7 am and will continue till 6 pm, is being held in 58 assembly seats spread across 11 districts in the western part of the state.

On the first day of voting in UP polls, around 52.17% voter turnout was seen in the Muzaffaranagar district.

During the first phase of UP Elections today, about 44.9% voter turnout was seen in the Ghaziabad district. Voting took place in Loni, Ghaziabad, Muradnagar, Sahibabad, Modinagar and Dholana assembly constituencies.

Transgender leaders like BJP's Sonam Kinnar and Samajwadi Party's Payal Kinnar may not be contesting the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, but have created a buzz through their electioneering. Rooting for their parties, these leaders are generating interest, not only in their community, but also among the common people as they carry out door-to-door campaigns all over the state.

During the first phase of voting during the assembly elections in UP, a total of 48.3% voter turnout was seen across the state, till 3 pm on Thursday, as per Election Commission of India's Voter Portal app.

With the Omicron threat looming large, an infrared thermometer gun's battery went down after just three hours of voting at a Loni polling station.

"We had immediately informed the health department about it and we are awaiting the battery," said an official present at the JP girls Inter College in Loni.

The thermo-guns have been in frequent use since the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020 to read the temperatures of a person.

As the first phase of Uttar Pradesh assembly elections got underway, farmer leader Rakesh Tikait on Thursday said "peace has replaced the 2013 situation" in Muzaffarnagar and the poll result will be different this time.

Referring to the communal riots that broke out in Muzaffarnagar district in 2013, the national spokesperson of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) said, "the result of 2013 was a trial, the stadiums of that trial have been demolished here. The stadiums where these matches were played remain demolished now."

"Peace has replaced the previous situation and the results will also not be the same this time,” he told reporters after casting his vote in the district.

Asked what was the “new match” being played, Tikait said, “The new match has already been played and its result will be known soon.”

Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) chief Jayant Chaudhary on Thursday took a "U-turn", stating that he will try to cast his vote in Uttar Pradesh's Mathura. He has earlier in the morning said that he may miss out on voting because of his election rallies.

The RLD chief is a voter in the Mathura Assembly constituency.

"I'm a voter of Mathura. Right now, we're in Bijnor as there is just two days' time for campaigning between the first and second rounds of UP polls. My wife voted in the morning itself. After campaigning ends here, I'll try to vote at booths open till 6 pm," he told ANI.

Uttar Pradesh records 35.03 per cent voting till 1 pm 

I'm a voter of Mathura. Right now, we're in Bijnor as there's just 2 days time for campaigning between the 1st & 2nd rounds of Uttar Pradesh elections. My wife voted in the morning itself. After campaigning ends here, I'll try to vote at booths open till 6 pm: RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary

The workers of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have set up help desks in the city near the polling stations to assist the voters if they face any problem in understanding the voting process.

"The help desks have been set up in a bid to guide the first-time voters or the people who are not aware of the voting process," a BJP worker present on a help desk near Noida Inter college told IANS.

He said that the workers are basically assisting the voters in the process of voting. "There are several polling booths at one polling station. The voters get confused about where to go to cast their vote. So we are here to guide them," said the worker.

He informed that since morning they have visited six polling stations and helped several voters to exercise their franchise.

A BJP insider has said that a call centre has been set up at assembly level and the first call was made to wake up polling agents and their reliever, 'shakti Kendra pramukh' and 'panna pramukh' from 4 a.m. in the morning and after 10.30 a.m., calls are made to voters with request to cast their votes.

"Since 10.30 a.m. till the end of voting in the evening, calls will be made to voters to motivate them to cast their vote. Panna pramukhs and shakti Kendra pramukhs are also asking people to come out and vote by reaching out voters personally," he said.

Agra MP and BJP candidate from Mainpuri's Karhal Assembly constituency SP Singh Baghel has said that the Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav is now afraid of losing the elections.

Baghel said that Yadav is now reaching out to the people in Karhal constituency after becoming aware of the stiff challenge there. 
"Yadav had earlier said that he will come to Karhal constituency only after winning the elections. Now, he is asking for people's votes there. It shows they (the SP) have the fear of losing (the elections)," Baghel said.

"EVM & VVPAT malfunction complaints are being addressed immediately. Law and order is maintained at all polling stations, voting is underway peacefully. Complaint of a person being stopped from voting in Agra has been found baseless," says Chief Electoral Officer, Uttar Pradesh

Agra 20.42%

Aligarh 17.91%

Baghpat 22.77%

Bulandshahr 21.62%

Gautam Budh Nagar 18.43%

Ghaziabad 17.26%

Hapur 22.08%

Mathura 20.39%

Meerut 18.92%

Muzaffarnagar 22.56%

Shamli 22.84%

"Complaints of EVM malfunction from few polling stations were addressed immediately and polling was resumed. Police, paramilitary forces deployed at all polling stations. To attract more voters, we've established pink polling booths for women and selfie points at polling centres," says Meerut DM

Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Jayant Chaudhary appealed to people to come out in large numbers to cast their votes to elect a government to fulfill their aspirations with the first phase of polling in Uttar Pradesh.

"I request each and every one of you to step out of your houses and utilize your right to vote. Elect a government that cares about you. Please also inspire the people around you to do the same," he said.

"Before casting votes, do recall what happened in the last five years in the state ...elect a government which care about you, talks about your rights, keep the society united, provide opportunities to youth, respect and protect the women and turn diversity into our strength to work for the development of state and the country," he said.

Shamli 7.70%

Muzaffarnagar 7.50%

Bagpat 8.93%

Meerut 8.44% 

Ghaziabad 7.37%

G.B.Nagar 8.33% 

Hapur 8.20%

Bulandshahr 7.51%

Aligarh 8.26%

Mathura 8.30% 

Agra 7.53%

"I feel people have made up their minds in favour of BJP. I've told them that they've seen BJP's good governance in last 5 yrs, law & order strengthened. They should give opportunity to BJP for next 5 yrs too, their expectations will be met," says Mriganka Singh, BJP's Kairana candidate

"Everything is in people's hands but we're confident that they'll support us. It was challenging as BJP & state machinery's focus was on Kairana. Our rival here isn't the local candidate but entire BJP & its machinery," says Iqra Hasan, sister of SP's Kairana candidate, Nahid Hasan

"I think BJP will form govt with a majority. Issues on which farmers protest was done, don't affected western UP. It's a sugarcane belt, farmers received their amount. Sugar mills opened, so this isn't an issue. Farmers can see for themselves," says MoS Gen (retd) VK Singh in Ghaziabad

"Positive changes and developments have been brought in Noida in the past 5 years. When SP-BSP-Cong support Pakistan & China, then what can they say to the people of the country," asks Pankaj Singh, BJP candidate from Noida seat

RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary will not go to cast his vote today because of his election rally. He is a voter of Mathura region: Jayant Chaudhary’s office to ANI

7.95% voter turnout recorded till 9:30 am in the first phase of polling for Uttar Pradesh elections 

Union Minister SP Singh Baghel, who is contesting against Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav from Mainpuri's Karhal, says "Karhal has decided to defeat Akhilesh Yadav to end 'goonda raj'".

Baghel will cast his vote in Agra district today

Noida 4%

Ghaziabad 8%

Shamli 7%

Aligarh 7%

Hapur 6%

Mathura 7%

Agra 6%

Meerut 8%

Muzaffarnagar 9%

Baghpat 7%

Ministers whose fate would be decided in the first phase include Shrikant Sharma, Suresh Rana, Sandeep Singh, Kapil Dev Agarwal, Atul Garg and Chowdhury Lakshmi Narain. 

Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi urges people to cast their votes. 

The first phase will cover the Jat-dominated belt of western UP from where farmers had participated actively in the stir against the Centre's three farm laws in the national capital. In 2017, the BJP bagged 53 of the 58 seats, while the SP and the BSP had got two seats each. One seat had gone to the RLD. 

"Polling process has started at all booths. Some complaints regarding EVMs received from some random booths, we are replacing those machines and resolving their matter. Peaceful polling underway, no law & order situation anywhere," says Jasjit Kaur, Shamli DM

"These elections are no ordinary elections but are associated with the development and safety of women in the state. In the last 5 years, we have laid the foundation for a prosperous Uttar Pradesh," says Shrikant Sharma, BJP candidate from Mathura Assembly constituency

"We are fighting on the agenda of development as we work with the mantra of 'Sabka saath, sabka vikas'. The people of the state don't want to see the politics of appeasement," says Sangeet Som, BJP candidate from Sardhana Assembly constituency

"I am confident that the citizens will vote in favour of Bharatiya Janata Party for good governance in the State," says BJP candidate from Agra Rural, Baby Rani Maurya

"I urge citizens to come out to vote today. Model polling booths established, & paramilitary forces deployed. Videography being done at all polling booths. All COVID-19 protocols being followed at polling booths," says Suhas LY, DM, Gautam Budh Nagar

Voting for the first phase of Uttar Pradesh elections on 58 assembly seats has begun

In districts where voting is scheduled for today, liquor shops have been closed for 48 hours and will open only once the voting is over

Citizens who have their names in the electoral rolls but have lost their voter ID cards can exercise their voting rights by showing other 12 photo identity cards like Aadhar Card, MNREGA Job card, passbooks, passport, Service ID, PAN Card, Unique Disability cards etc.

Over 2.28 crore people will exercise their right to vote in the first phase. 

For this, 26,027 booths and 10,853 polling centers have been set up

Additional Chief Electoral Officer of Uttar Pradesh BD Ram Tiwari informed on Wednesday that there will be a holiday in all districts going to polls in the first phase of Assembly elections in the state on Thursday so that citizens can exercise their right to vote.

"There will be a holiday in all eleven districts of Western Uttar Pradesh which are set to go to polls so that citizens can exercise their right to vote," said Tiwari while talking to ANI.

"We've set up 6 booths covering sectors of Raj Nagar. Necessary COVID measures have been taken. Thermal screening will be done at gates. We have also kept the school cameras off," says Poonam Yadav, Sector Magistrate

Voting for the first phase of Uttar Pradesh elections will commence from 7 AM and will continue till 6 PM today

As per the set norms, the campaigning for the first phase of the UP polls ended on Tuesday (February 8) at 6 pm, marking the start of a 48-hour-long silence period.

The 403-member Uttar Pradesh Assembly is scheduled to go to the polls in seven phases on February 10, 14, 20, 23, 27, March 3, and 7.

The counting of votes will take place on March 10.

• Nearly 50,000 paramilitary personnel from 412 companies of central paramilitary forces have been deployed at different locations to maintain the state's law and order
• Police have sealed the borders of the state and strict vigilance is underway
• Highest deployment will be seen in Muzaffarnagar, Aligarh and Meerut
• In Mathura alone, 75 coys of paramilitary have been deployed and the total force deployed is 21,000 in this constituency
• Thorough vigilance is being done at the state borders of both Haryana and Rajasthan where police officials are listing the car numbers
• Polling officers and teams have assembled at Krishi Utpanna Bajar Samiti to collect all the required election materials
• Duty cards have already been allotted

Noida assembly seat

• BJP has fielded Pankaj Singh -- son of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh
• Congress has fielded Pankhuri Pathak for whom party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also held a door-to-door campaign BSP has fielded Kriparam Sharma 
• Samajwadi Party's Sunil Chaudhary is also a candidate from this seat

Meerut assembly seat 

• BJP has fielded Kamal Dutt Sharma against Rafiq Ansari
• Congress has fielded Ranjan Sharma 
• BSP's Mohd Dilshad is also contesting from this seat

Kairana assembly seat

• SP has fielded Nahid Hassan 
• BJP has fielded Mriganka Singh 

Agra Rural (SC) seat

• SP leader Mahesh Kumar Jatav will contest against former Uttrarakhnad governor and BJP leader Baby Rani Maurya
• Congress has fielded Upendra Singh 
• BSP's Kiran Prabha Kesari will also be in the fray here

Aligarh seat

• SP leader Zafar Alam will fight against BJP's Mukta Raja 
• Congress has fielded leader Mohd Salman Imtiyaz 
• BSP leader Raziya Khan will also be contesting from this seat

The 11 districts that are going to the polling today are Mathura, Muzaffarnagar, Meerut, Ghaziabad, Bulandshahar, Hapur, Shamli, Baghpat, Aligarh, Agra and Gautam Buddha Nagar.

In the first phase of elections, the constituencies that have been the center of attention and have particularly raised the political heat throughout the election campaign this year are Noida, Kairana, and Meerut among others.

Voting for the first phase of Uttar Pradesh elections on 58 assembly seats covering 11 districts of the state will begin on Thursday at 7 am. The voting will conclude at 6 pm today. The first phase will cover the 'Jat-dominant belt' of the western part of the state.