New Delhi: Popularly called as the ‘litmus test’ for the political parties at the national level, the Uttar Pradesh Assembly election has begun with its first phase today. Polling for 58 Assembly constituencies is underway with over 2 crore voters who will seal the fate for 623 candidates contesting the elections from 11 districts. 


Among these over 2 crores eligible population of eleven districts of western Uttar Pradesh, are first-time voters who are exercising their adult franchise. One of such first-time voters is Zikra who cast her vote along with her family at a polling booth in Kairana in the Shamli district. She stressed upon the importance of exercising voting right. "It is important to exercise your voting right. I feel good after casting my vote," she said, reports news agency ANI.  






Around 9 percent voter turnout in Baghpat district and 7 percent in Ghaziabad district have been reported in the first two hours of the polling. 


The eleven districts covered in the first phase of Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections — Shamli, Muzaffarnagar, Meerut, Baghpat, Ghaziabad, Hapur, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Bulandshahr, Aligarh, Mathura and Agra — are known as predominantly ‘Jat dominant belt’. 


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Around 50,000 paramilitary forces from 412 companies of central paramilitary forces have been deployed at several locations to maintain the law and order situation in the state. The State borders have also been sealed by the police. 


The UP Assembly election will take place in a total of seven phases and the votes will be counted on march 10.