Yogi Adityanath casts his vote in Gorakhpur.
Voting began for the first phase of the local body elections across 24 districts in Uttar Pradesh today. Over 3 crore people from the most populous state in the country are eligible to cast their vote in the elections. This would be the first popularity test for Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath nearly eight months after the BJP was elected with a thumping majority earlier this year.
The second phase of civic polls will be held on November 26 in 25 districts and the third phase will be held in 26 districts on November 29. The results for the local body elections will be declared on December 1.
Here are the highlights from the polling centres.
'BJP taking UP civic polls seriously'
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that the BJP is taking the UP civic polls seriously as it wants to ensure that the benefits of government schemes reach the last man on the social ladder.
Yogi Adityanath says corrupt babus may face compulsory retirement
Yogi Adityanath said that properties of those cheating the poor would be seized and they would be given compulsory retirement. "Laxity in extending help under various schemes to the poor and the needy will not be tolerated. The government will take stern action against whosoever is found cheating the poor," Mr Adityanath said while campaigning for BJP nominees for the upcoming civic polls.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath kick-started the campaign for the first urban local body polls in his tenure from Ayodhya bringing the disputed Ram Janmabhoomi back to centrestage.
In the first phase of local body elections, polling is underway in 24 districts that witnessed voter turnout of 24 per cent till 12 pm, according to ANI.
Polling is underway today in various districts: Shamli, Meerut, Hapur, Bijnore, Badaun, Hathras, Kasganj, Agra, Kanpur, Jalaun, Hamirpur, Chitrakoot, Kaushambi, Pratapgarh, Unnao, Hardoi, Amethi, Faizabad, Gonda, Basti, Gorakhpur, Azamgarh, Ghazipur and Sonebhadra, PTI reported.
As Union Minister of State Shiv Pratap Shukla reached the St. Andrew's College polling booth today to cast his vote, he told media that his party would bring an amendment in the existing law to ensure more rights for mayors, PTI reported.
While BJP promised "pink toilets" and free Wi-Fi at prominent places
in its manifesto for the local body elections, Bahujan Samaj Party's mayoral candidate from Lucknow Bulbul Godiyal had claimed the BJP copied her concept of "pink toilets" for women.
A total of 56 candidates are in the fray for five mayor seats in the first phase of UP civic polls, 901 for the chairperson's post in the 71 nagar palikas and 3,856 nominees for the 1,819 nagar palika wards, PTI reported.
About 8,000 state government employees have been deployed to supervise the polling process. A district official was quoted as saying by the IANS that 4,200 policemen, 1,000 home guards, eight companies of Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) and two Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) companies have been deployed for poll duty.
Polling is underway to elect chairmen of local bodies in 24 districts and mayor of Agra along with 100 corporators, IANS reported. Long queues of voters were seen outside the 364 polling booths today despite the morning chill, the news agency said.
One of the key challenges for Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in the local body elections would be to match BJP's assembly poll performance. The BJP has a
strong grip on local bodies in the state.
Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav kept a low profile as Samajwadi Party campaigned for the local body elections. However, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath ran an aggressive campaign with over 30 public meetings.
Voting resumed at the three booths in Mani Ram Bagia Ward number 104 in Kanpur after polling was interrupted due to technical glitch, ANI reported.
Technical glitch was reported in electronic voting machines at three booths in Mani Ram Bagia Ward number 104 in Kanpur, according to ANI.
The first phase of the civic polls in Uttar Pradesh covers 230 wards - five municipal corporations, 71 municipal boards and 154 Panchayats.
Polling for the three-phased elections will be held in 16 Nagar nigams, 438 Nagar panchayats and 198 Nagar Palika parishads.
As he faces his first popularity test after becoming the chief minister earlier this year, Yogi Adityanath told ANI on Tuesday, "BJP will win comfortably in view of the work done & decisions made the party. Previous parties had handicapped local bodies, we are making efforts to bring them back on track."
Voting began for the three-phased local body elections at 7:30 am across 24 districts in the state.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath reached the polling centre at Kanya Primary Pathshala in ward number 68 of old Gorakhpur today morning to cast his vote as voting began for the first phase of civic polls.