Uttar Pradesh Lok Sabha Election Phase 3: State records 57.34 turnout till 8 pm

Polling is spread across all seven phases in UP

Uttar Pradesh recorded a voter turnout of 57.34 turnout till 8 pm. The all-India figure stood at 61.45 per cent, according to the Election Commission.

The polling in UP is spread across all seven phases of the Lok Sabha elections. In the first two phases, polling took place in 8 seats each.

In the current phase, voting is taking place in the constituencies of Sambhal, Hathras, Agra, Fatehpur Sikri, Firozabad, Mainpuri, Etah, Badaun, Aonla and Bareilly.

In Mainpuri, the traditional stronghold of SP, Dimple Yadav is facing BJP's Jaiveer Singh and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP)'s Shiv Prasad Yadav. The election is being seen as a litmus test for the Yadav 'bahu', who is contesting from a family bastion once held by her late father-in-law Mulayam Singh Yadav. Notably, her husband Akhilesh Yadav will be in the fray from Kannauj in the next phase on May 13.

Besides Dimple, BJP's Satyapal Singh Baghel is facing SP's Suresh Chandra Kardam and BSP's Pooja Amrohi from Agra. In Badaun, BJP's Durvijay Singh Shakya is challenging SP leader Shivpal Yadav's son Aditya Yadav and BSP's Muslim Khan. SP had won the Badaun Lok Sabha seat in 2014 but lost it to the BJP in 2019. The key candidates in UP's Etah are Rajveer Singh from BJP and Devesh Shakya from SP.

Here are the key highlights of the Phase 3 Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh:

• Uttar Pradesh recorded voter turnout of 57.34 turnout till 8 pm.

*Samajwadi Party candidate from Mainpuri Dimple Yadav on Tuesday said, "Our home is in Mainpuri. There are a lot of relatives. Netaji (Mulayam Singh Yadav) has been associated with the whole area. Our priority has been development of the area, and providing respect, help, facilities to the people. It is a fight to save the Constitution and democracy."

*Union Minister BL Verma cast his vote in Uttar Pradesh's Ujhani. "I appeal to every voter to cast their vote. This election of 2024 is for making the vision of 'Viksit Bharat' come true and to make Narendra Modi the Prime Minister for the third time. The polling of the third phase will be in the favour of the BJP... In UP, we will win all the 80 seats," he said.

*Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav, along with his wife and SP Lok Sabha candidate from Mainpuri, Dimple Yadav cast vote at a polling station in Saifai. "I appeal to people to vote in large numbers. This vote will strengthen the democracy. This vote changes our lives. All the talks of BJP leaders are lies -- Farmers' income was not doubled. Youths don't have jobs. Paper leaks are happening. There's inflation. They are earning through electoral bonds. BJP's going to lose," said Akhilesh after casting his vote.

* A voter turnout of 11.63 per cent was recorded in Uttar Pradesh till 9 am.

*BJP candidate from Mainpuri Lok Sabha seat Jaiveer Singh offered prayers at Sheetla Mata Mandir. Singh is contesting against Samajwadi Party's candidate Dimple Yadav.

*Union Minister and BJP candidate from Agra Lok Sabha constituency, SP Singh Baghel cast his vote for the Lok Sabha election.

*BJP leader Harnath Singh Yadav cast his vote at a polling booth in Etah, Uttar Pradesh. BJP has fielded Rajveer Singh, the son of former Uttar Pradesh CM and BJP leader Kalyan Singh from the Etah Lok Sabha constituency. He is pitted against SP's Devesh Shakya and BSP's Mohammad Irfan.