With the commencement of polling for the fourth phase of Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on Wednesday cast her vote at the Municipal Nursery School polling booth in Lucknow.
She took a jibe at Samajwadi Party stating that Muslims are not happy with it and voting for SP means "gunda raj, mafia raj".
Speaking to media persons after polling, Mayawati said, "People will not vote for them. Muslims are not happy with SP. People of UP have rejected SP even before voting as voting for SP means Gunda raj, Mafia raj. Riots happened in the SP government. The face of SP leaders tells that they are not coming in power."
Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Minister and BJP's candidate from Lucknow Cantonment seat Brajesh Pathak offers prayers at Kali Bari Temple as the voting began at 7 am today.
Brajesh Pathak is facing Samajwadi candidate and two-time Corporator Surendra Singh Gandhi in the Lucknow Cantonment seat. The UP minister Ashutosh Tandon is also in the fray from the Lucknow East seat against Deputy Speaker of Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly Nitin Agarwal, who is the Samajwadi Party nominee.
Polling is underway in 59 Assembly seats spread across the districts of Pilibhit, Lakhimpur Kheri, Sitapur, Hardoi, Unnao, Lucknow, Rae Bareli, Banda, and Fatehpur.
The state is witnessing a multi-cornered contest with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Samajwadi Party (SP)-Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) alliance, and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Congress as principal contenders.
Three phases out of the seven-phase UP Assembly elections have already concluded. Voting for the fourth phase is underway in 59 Assembly seats today. Elections in Uttar Pradesh will conclude on March 7. Voting for the remaining three phases will take place on February 27, March 3, and 7.
The counting of votes will take place on March 10.
( With inputs from ANI )
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