Women showing their inked fingers after voting in the assembly by-polls at Thakurdwara, UP (Press Trust of India photo)
About 50 per cent electorate today exercised their franchise in by-polls to 11 assembly seats and one Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh till 5 pm.
Around 53.2 per cent votes were polled in Mainpuri Lok Sabha seat where Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and his MP wife Dimple Yadav cast their votes, while 49.78 per cent votes were polled in 11 Assembly seats, an official statement issued by the election commission said.
Among the Assembly constituencies, Thakurdwara in Moradabad and Nighasan in Lakhimpur witnessed brisk polling with 65 and 60 per cent turn out respectively, but it was tardy in Noida where only 31 per cent votes were polled followed by 32 per cent for Lucknow east seat.
Security personnel, including those of the Central forces, were deployed in constituencies along with micro-observers to ensure free and fair elections, according to the election office.
Tight security arrangements were made at all the polling centres even as video recording and photography were also done.
The Assembly seats where by-polls were held include Saharanpur city, Bijnor, Thakurdwara, Noida, Nighasan Lucknow east, Hamirpur, Charkhari, Sirathu, Balha and Rohania.
Eleven Assembly seats fell vacant after 10 BJP MLAs and one of its ally, Apna Dal, were elected to the Lok Sabha.
Arrangement of web casting was also made at 176 sensitive polling stations.
While BSP is not contesting the by-poll, the Congress and SP have fielded candidates on all 11 Assembly seats, whereas the BJP is contesting on 10 and its ally Apna Dal on one.
In Mainpuri, BSP and Congress have not fielded their candidates. Here the contest is between Mulayam's kin Tej Pratap Singh and BJP's Shiv Singh Shakya.
About 50 per cent polling was registered in Rohaniya Assembly seat, which falls under the Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi.