Voting for first-phase of UP local body elections begins

Disruptions at some polling booths were reported due to complaints about EVM.

Voting for the first phase of civic body elections in 24 of the 75 districts of Uttar Pradesh began on Wednesday. Disruptions at some polling booths were reported due to complaints about EVM.

Residents after casting their votes in Ayodhya on Wednesday.

The state has 16 nagar nigams (municipal corporations), 199 nagar palika parishads (municipalities), and 428 nagar panchayats (city councils) that include a total of 11,995 civic wards.

Urban local bodies’ polls in Uttar Pradesh — the biggest state in the country politically — are being contested on national issues this time instead of local problems like ‘naali, sadak, paani’ (sewage, roads and drinking water supply).

All major parties are contesting all the 16 mayoral seats.

State-level leaders of all parties are campaigning across the state this time around making it the most fiercely contested civic election ever in the country.

The state election commission claims to have made all arrangements for free and fair polls. The commission is using EVMs for the first time in the civic polls though their use will be restricted to only nagar nigams (municipal corporations).