UP Assembly election: Poll bugle sounded as nomination process gets rolling

First phase on Feb 11 to have 73 constituencies going to polls across 15 districts in western UP

The process of filing nomination papers for the first phase of polling in Uttar Pradesh (UP) for the 2017 assembly elections started on Tuesday.

This formally set in motion the long-haul election process in UP, wherein over 140 million electorates would be eligible to cast their vote during the seven phase polling between February 11 and March 8, 2017.

On the inaugural day of filing nominations, only one nomination was filed in Mathura district.

The first phase of voting on February 11 would witness 73 assembly constituencies going to polls spanning 15 districts in western UP, including Agra, Shamli, Muzaffarnagar, Baghpat, Meerut, Etah, Ghaziabad, Hapur, Gautam Budh Nagar (Noida), Firozabad.

The nomination papers of the respective candidates could be filed until January 24, and the scrutiny of nominations by the Election Commission (EC) would be held on January 25. The candidates can withdraw their nomination till January 27.

The nomination process for the second phase of polling on February 15 would start on January 20, when 67 assembly constituencies spread over 11 districts would go to polls.

Meanwhile, the seven phases polling in UP would be held on February 11, 15, 19, 23, 27, March 4 and 8 respectively.

The counting of votes would be held on March 11 for all the five states going to polls in the coming two months viz. UP, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur.

Altogether, there are 403 assembly constituencies in UP spanning 75 districts and five major geographical regions viz. eastern UP (Purvanchal), central UP (Awadh), western UP, Bundelkhand and Rohelkhand.