Lucknow:  Uttar Pradesh recorded 59 per cent polling at the end of the fifth phase of assembly elections, covering 49 seats spread over 13 districts, including Bundelkhand region.

Polling started at 7 am amidst tight security arrangements. Fate of 829 candidates, including that of Leader of Opposition in the state assembly Shivpal Singh Yadav, BJP leader Uma Bharati and former UP chief minister Kalyan Singh would be decided by more than 1.56 crore electorate.

Polling was held in Firozabad, Kanshiram Nagar, Etah, Mainpuri, Etawah, Auraiya, Ramabainagar, Kanpur, Jalaun, Jhansi, Lalitpur, Hamirpur and Mahoba districts.

The polling was held at 17,267 polling stations at 11,745 centres. While 2,104 stations were identified as sensitive, 2,256 had been marked as hyper-sensitive.

To check any irregularity at polling stations, 981 video cameras and 2,100 digital cameras had been installed, Chief Electoral Officer of UP Umesh Sinha said.

The fifth phase covered the assembly seats in the backward Bundelkhand region, bastions of the Samajwadi Party and former chief minister Kalyan Singh.

In this phase, Shivpal Singh Yadav is seeking re-election from Jaswantnagar seat in Etawah district.

The fate of the firebrand leader Uma Bharati, who is making her debut in UP electoral politics, would be put to test from Charkhari seat in Mahoba district.

The charisma and political strength of former UP chief minister Kalyan Singh would also be tested in this phase as elections were also held in his stronghold of Etah.

Tags: Assembly elections, Assembly elections 2012, Assembly polls 2012, Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections 2012