Lucknow, May 12 (IANS) Brisk balloting took place Monday in Uttar Pradesh's 18 parliamentary seats as a controversy broke out in Varanasi where Congress candidate Ajay Rai walked into a polling station with the party symbol pinned to his kurta.
Polling in 18 parliamentary constituencies is underway peacefully, officials said.
There were complaints of some technical glitches in Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).
A large turnout has been reported from most places, a poll panel official said.
On an average 10.38 percent voting has been reported from the 18 constituencies that are balloting Monday.
In Varanasi, from where BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narenda Modi is pitted against Aam Aadmi Party's Arvind Kejriwal, 18 percent voting was reported till 10 a.m.
A controversy broke out in Varanasi when Ajay Rai, Congress candidate, walked into a polling station to vote with the party symbol tucked on his kurta.
Election law bans the use of any party symbol within 100 metres of the poll station. Officials in the district say the Congress candidate had indeed violated the law.
He was accompanied by his wife and he spoke to reporters within 10 metres of the polling station, which again is a breach of law.
Senior district officials told IANS that the returning officer has sought video footage and that action would follow soon.
At Dumariyaganj, voting till 9 a.m. was 11.56 percent, Maharajganj 11.60 percent, Gorakhpur 11.80 percent and 10.60 percent in Kushinagar.
In Deoria, where BJP's senior leader Kalraj Mishra is contesting the polls, 11.60 percent people have cast their votes till 9 a.m. In Basgaon, the polling percentage in the first two hours was 10.90 percent, 10 percent in Lalganj and 9.20 percent in Ghosi.
In Salempur, the voting percentage was 9 while it was 10.36 percent in Ballia. It was 10.20 percent voter turnout in Jaunpur from where Bhojpuri film star Ravi Kishen is contesting on a Congress ticket.
The slowest polling was recorded from Azamgarh, the seat from where Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Mulayam Singh Yadav is pitted against BJP's Ramakant Yadav.
Jio Platforms: sixth major investment in six weeks, Abu Dhabi's company will buy stake
Another foreign company is going to invest in Reliance's Jio platforms. Abu Dhabi's Mubadala Inve
Judge me by my work: Smriti Irani
New Delhi, May 29 (IANS) Two days after a controversy erupted over her educational qualifications,
Indian Language Day will be celebrated on December 11 in schools and colleges to mark the birth a
With the 2022-23 season of the Indian Super League (ISL) coming to a close, the clubs have sealed
'Confusion in Muslim society over Waqf Amendment Bill', Kiren Rijiju said- India is run by law
Union Minister for Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju said that confusion is being spread in the Musli
Inflation: Inflation and higher price may reduce the demand for gold in India
Gold demand may decline in the second half. This is because the demand for it is decreasing due t
There is no age for trust. Can last forever and can also break in a moment. The relationship of t
Former India cricket captain Virat Kohli has retained his position as the Top Valued Celebrity in
11 Indian nurses evacuated from Iraq's Kirkuk
New Delhi, Feb 5 (IANS) Eleven Indian nurses, hailing from Kerala, have been evacuated from con
Coronavirus News Updates: PM Modi’s Video Conference With CMs Begins, Word On Lockdown Awaited
कोरोनावायरस (COVID-19) लाइव अपडेट: भारत के 21
