20-25 per cent polling in Uttar Pradesh till noon

An estimated 20 to 25 per cent voters exercised their franchise in the second phase of polling for 30 seats in Uttar Pradesh till noon.

Amidst tight security, an estimated 20 to 25 per cent voters exercised their franchise in the second phase of polling for 30 seats in Uttar Pradesh till 12 am.

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The polling was peaceful and there was no report of any untoward incident from any part of the state so far, official sources Lucknow said.

Polling was brisk in rural areas while it began on a slow note in the urban areas, which picked up later.

Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee cast his vote at the Bishun Narain Inter College polling station in the Lucknow constituency, from where he is seeking re-election.

Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav also exercised his franchise at his ancestral village in Safai in Etawah district.

Elaborate security arrangements have been made in all the 30 Lok Sabha constituencies and shoot-at-sight orders have been issued in hyper-sensitive seats to dissuade criminal elements from disrupting the poll process.