UP Assembly Election 2012: third phase polling begins amid tight security

The third phase of polling for Uttar Pradesh (UP) assembly election 2012 kicks off Wednesday morning for 56 seats spread over 10 districts amid tight security.

This third phase of voting will decided the fate of 1018 candidates including three Cabinet ministers, a minister of state, 29 sitting MLAs and 14 former ministers.

According to election commission official, 'the polling begins at 7 a.m. today morning and would continue till 5.00 p.m. except in the naxal affected area where it will conclude an hour before.'

To conduct smooth and fair election, tight security forces have been deployed at 11,607 polling stations. As much as 1,122 video cameras and 1,190 digital cameras have been installed at 18,374 polling booths to maintain a vigil on poll process, official added.

In this third phase of voting, whopping 1.75-crore electorates are likely to decide the fate of 1,018 candidates including 77 women candidates today.

There are 121 candidates with criminal backgrounds and 48 millionaires exercising their power in this fray.

The election commission has spotted 2,025 polling stations as sensitive and 1,766 as hypersensitive.

The third phase of election will cover 10 districts - CSM Nagar, Sultanpur, Kaushambi, Allahabad, Jaunpur, Chandauli, Varanasi, Sant Ravidas Nagar, Mirzapur and Sonbhadra - of eastern Uttar Pradesh and Vindhyachal region.

The major faces in the fray are: Former secondary education minister and BSP candidate Rangnath Mishra, sacked higher education minister and independent candidate Rakesh Dhar Tripathi, former Vidhan Sabha speaker and BJP candidate Kesari Nath Tripathi, BJP heavyweight leader Om Prakash Singh, brother of state Congress president, Rita Bahuguna Joshi and Congress candidate Shekhar Bahuguna, son of MP and former minister Reoti Raman Singh, and SP candidate Ujjwal Rama Singh, Former MP and accused in several cases, Apna Dal candidate Ateeq Ahmad, another Apna Dal candidate and accused in several shootout Prem Prakash Singh alias Munna Bajrangi, six time MLA and BJP candidate Dev Rai Chaudhary, five time MLA and two time MP, SP candidate Parasnath Yadav, and former bureaucrat Rajendra Pandey.

In 2007 assembly elections, out of 52 seats, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) had won highest number of seats (31), followed by Samajwadi Party (11), Bhartiya Janta Party (6), Congress (3) and independent one.