- Voting percentage in phase I of UP polls peggged at 64 percent
- Akhilesh Yadav and Rahul Gandhi release SP-Congress alliance’s Common Minimum Programme
- The list of 10 promsies for the people of Uttar Pradesh includes smartphones, skill development, free cycles and homes for the poor
- Polling for 73 assembly constituencies across 15 districts in western UP began at 7 am
- A total of 839 candidates are in the fray
Referring to incidents of violence, he said though mobs had gathered at some places, timely police action ensured that there were no poll-related violence, injury or casualty.
Police drove people away, but there were no poll-related injuries or casualty.Vijay Dev
During the polls, held across 15 districts, 42 electronic voting machines (EVM) and 52 voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) machines had to be replaced, which the official said was less than previous polls.
Enforcement agencies working under the Commission seized Rs 9.56 crore in cash and 4.44 lakh litres of liquor worth Rs 14 crore.
The agencies also recovered drugs worth over Rs 96 lakh and precious metals such as gold and silver worth Rs 14 crore.
Polling Boycotted in Seven Places
People also boycotted polling in seven places, out of which authorities intervened and resolved six cases, Dev said.
In all the reported cases, fair compensation and construction of roads were the main issues. While people were convinced to vote at Kavi Nagar (Ghaziabad), Nangal Koti (Firozabad), Chhohari village and Majra (Mathura), people refused to vote in Bhagat Nagariya in Mathura.
During the day, Akhilesh Yadav and Rahul Gandhi held a joint press conference, showcasing their common minimum programme. It spoke about loan waivers and reduction of power tariffs.
PM Narendra Modi also spoke at a rally in Badaun where he took a dig at Congress, SP and BSP, saying that even after 70 years of independence, there has been no progress in Badaun. He said that there will be a new government in the state within a month and BJP had won 3 MLC seats, starting their winning streak.
64 Percent Voter Turnout in UP
The first phase of UP polls in 73 assembly constituencies on Saturday witnessed an "exemplary" 64.22 percent voter turnout.
The Election Commission did not give the figures of voter turnout on the corresponding seats in the 2012 assembly polls, but said the percentage recorded was higher than the 58.62 overall turnout recorded in the state then.
The overall turnout in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls was 59.12 percent.
Deputy Election Commissioner in charge of Uttar Pradesh Vijay Dev termed the turnout as "exemplary" and said it will "set the tone for the remaining six phases" to be held between 15 February and 8 March.
Muyalam Supports Shivpal in Etawah
Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav campaigned in Etawah, asking for people to vote for his brother Shivpal Yadav and make the party win and come to power again in Uttar Pradesh.
The SP has always delivered on its promises. If someone promises something and then does not deliver on it then we consider that fraud. This election will be extremely important for Shivpal and me.
He did not mention his son Akhilesh or the alliance with Congress and Rahul Gandhi in his speech.