Lok Sabha elections: 46% voting recorded in UP till 3 pm

Nearly 46% voters exercised their franchise till 3 pm in Uttar Pradesh, where polling is underway in 14 seats to decide the fate of 233 candidates.

UP Governor BL Joshi, BSP supremo Mayawati, Congress candidate from Lucknow Rita Bahuguna Joshi, BJP National President Rajnath Singh and party leader Kalraj Mishra were among those who exercised their franchise.

Dhaurahra witnessed 52.8% polling till 1500 hours while Sitapur and Mishrikh recorded 51.6 and 44.39% polling respectively.

Unnao recorded 41.63% polling, Mohanlalganj 46.8%, Lucknow 42.7%, Rae Bareli 38.6%, Kanpur 44.4%, Jalaun 42%, Jhansi 55.46%, Hamirpur 43.7%,  Banda 39.79%, Fatehpur 45.42% and Barabanki recorded 49.76% polling.

In Sitapur an FIR has been lodged against SP MLA Rampal Yadav after he entered into an altercation with CRPF jawan Dharampal Singh at Nauabehad polling booth in Biswan area.

The fate of 233 candidates will be decided by 2.46 crore voters that include 1.34 crore men and 1.12 crore women.

A total of 25,485 polling centres have been set up in which 3554 have been identified as critical. The focus would be on Rae Bareli and Lucknow seats from where Congress President Sonia Gandhi and BJP President Rajnath Singh are in the fray.

Gandhi, who is contesting from her traditional Rae Bareli seat, has no major contestant against her with SP deciding not to field its candidate against her.

The prestigious Lucknow seat, which is in the limelight with the entry of the BJP's national president, is set to witness a tricky contest.

Rajnath, who is facing a four-cornered contest has two tasks at hand - first to maintain legacy of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and second to ensure a victory margin matching with his political stature.

Meanwhile, British High Commissioner James David Bevan today reached Lucknow and visited a number of polling centres to see the polling exercise.

According to official sources he also visited the election commission office and met Governor Joshi, Rajnath, Mayawati and Rita Joshi.

He is also scheduled to visit Rae Bareli parliamentary constituency of Congress President Sonia Gandhi.

District Magistrate Rae Bareli Aditi Singh informed that Bevan would visit polling booth at Dayanand PG College in Bachrawan town to see the polling process for the Lok Sabha elections.