UP Fourth Phase Voting Updates: 57.45% voter turnout recorded till 5 pm

• Pilibhit - 54.83 percent
• Kheri- 52.92 percent
• Sitapur- 50.33 percent
• Hardoi - 46.29 percent
• Unnao - 47.29 percent
• Lucknow - 47.62 percent
• Rae Bareli - 50.84 percent 
• Banda - 50.08 percent 
• Fatehpur - 52.60 percent

Voting resumed after a brief interruption of two hours in the Kadipur Sani area of Lakhimpur Kheri after adhesive was thrown at the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) during the fourth phase of Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections on Wednesday, according to police officials. The incident took place at booth number 109 of Kadipur Sani. The police have registered an FIR against the unidentified accused. Polling was halted for nearly 2 hours after which the EVM was replaced and the voting resumed once again.

Uttar Pradesh records 37.45% voting till 1 pm 

"From 1st to 4th phase of the elections, Samajwadi Party's list included rioters, criminals and mafia but now their connections with terrorists can also be seen," says Union Minister Anurag Thakur on Uttar Pradesh polls in Lucknow

Uttar Pradesh records 22.62% voting till 11 am 

"If we see the voter percentage of the third round, it is the same as last time. So, it is a good voter percentage. UP has had good percentage. It is our appeal to all voters to cast their vote," says Awanish Awasthi, Addl Chief Secy, Home Dept, UP Govt

"BJP will not only repeat the history but it is also an undeniable possibility that our number of seats will increase," says Defence Minister and BJP leader Rajnath Singh in Lucknow 

"Every section is blessing BJP.  We've established rule of law in the state. People are excited to vote for BJP. We will form govt with an majority," says UP minister and BJP's candidate from Lucknow Cantonment seat Brijesh Pathak after casting his vote

Uttar Pradesh records 9.10% voting till 9 am 

"Today UP is crime & terrorism free. Everyone feels safe. People are getting jobs. We've made UP economy no 2 and will also make it No 1 and people are voting for that. We are forming the govt," says UP minister Mohsin Raza after casting his vote in Lucknow 

"Opposition brought the Hijab issue into elections. This rule (for uniform) was formed in Karnataka, people did this (row) in reply. But I think, a law should be made to ban hijab across the country," says BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj in Unnao

BJP candidate from Sarojini Nagar constituency in Lucknow district, Rajeshwar Singh exuded confidence over his victory in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections by "one lakh votes". He also said that BJP's agenda is "nation first" and the party will form the government again in Uttar Pradesh.

"BJP will win Sarojini Nagar seat by one lakh votes. Our agenda is nation first. BJP will form government again," Former ED Joint Director and BJP candidate from Sarojini Nagar Rajeshwar Singh told ANI.

Rajeshwar Singh is contesting against Samajwadi Party candidate Abhishek Mishra, who is a former IIM professor and a close aide of the former Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav.

"Muslims are not happy with Samajwadi Party. They will not vote for them. People of UP have rejected SP even before voting as voting for SP means Gunda raj, Mafia raj. Riots happened in SP govt. The face of SP leaders tell that they are not coming in power," says BSP chief Mayawati

"BSP is headed towards absolute majority. Taking into account the first 3 phases & today's voting, you'll find out that voting done for BSP. Just like 2007, BSP will form govt with absolute majority, Mayawati will become UP's CM for 5th time," says SC Misra, BSP

"Adequate security deployment made at the booth. Security provided outside the booth too. Various mobile teams of Police are at work. We are making rounds. No vehicle will be allowed inside the centre, vehicles will be stopped outside 200m radius," says ACP Hazratganj Raghvendra Mishra

Voting begins on 59 assembly constituencies across 9 districts

• As many as 800 companies of paramilitary forces and over 60,000 policemen will provide security across 59 assembly seats of Uttar Pradesh
• Of the 59 assembly constituencies, three have been categorised as “sensitive” and 590 localities marked as “vulnerable”
• Three assembly constituencies -- Hussainganj, Bindki and Fatehpur -- have been kept in the 'sensitive' category
• A total of 3,393 polling booths are being considered as 'critical'
• A total of 137 'pink booths' have been made to specially motivate women for voting. At these pink booths, 36 women inspectors and sub-inspectors, and 277 women constables and chief constables have been deployed
• Uttar Pradesh has got 860 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), whose personnel will be deployed at all polling stations
• 7,022 inspectors and sub-inspectors of Uttar Pradesh Police and 58,132 head constables and constables will be deployed along with 21 companies of PAC, 50,490 home-guards, 185 PRD jawans, and 8,486 chowkidars

As many as 624 candidates are in fray during the fourth phase of elections across the 59 seats, of which the BJP had won 51 seats in 2017 polls.

Elections in Uttar Pradesh are being held in seven phases and 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.

Uttar Pradesh 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

Unnao, where the Congress party has fielded the Unnao rape victim's mother to wrest the seat from BJP's Pankaj Gupta will remain one of the seats in focus. Former BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, who represented the Bangermau seat in Unnao district, was convicted and jailed for life for the rape in 2019.

The Unnao rape case came into the limelight in 2017 when the victim tried to kill herself outside the residence of Yogi Adityanath after her father was beaten up allegedly by Sengar's brother and later succumbed to the injuries.

Lakhimpur Kheri, which hogged the national limelight after eight people including four farmers were killed after being mowed down by a vehicle during last year, will also vote today. BJP leader and Union Minister of State Ajay Kumar Mishra's son Ashish Mishra is accused in the case.

The Lakhimpur seat is witnessing a multi-cornered fight. BJP's Yogesh Verma is seeking re-election from the Lakhimpur seat. He is up against Utkarsh Verma Madhur of the SP, Mohan Bajpai of the BSP, Dr Ravi Shankar Trivedi of the Congress party, Usman Siddiqui of the AIMIM, and Khushi Kinnar from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

The prestige of the Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Mishra Teni will also be at stake in the Lakhimpur Kheri constituency. He's a local MP, besides having been at the center of controversy after his son was named in the FIR in the incident leading to the deaths of the farmers.

• Law Minister and BJP leader Brajesh Pathak will test the waters from the Lucknow Cantonment seat. He is pitted against Samajwadi Party candidate and two-time Corporator Surendra Singh Gandhi. Pathak was elected to the state Assembly from the Lucknow Central seat in the 2017 polls
• Urban Development Minister Ashutosh Tandon is seeking re-election from the Lucknow East seat. He is contesting against Samajwadi Party's national spokesperson Anurag Bhadauria
• BJP has pitted former joint director of Enforcement Directorate Rajeshwar Singh from the Sarojini Nagar seat in Lucknow against SP candidate Abhishek Mishra, who is a former IIM professor and a close aide of the former Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav
• Aditi Singh is facing Congress candidate Manish Chauhan and Samajwadi Party's RP Yadav from Rae Bareli. Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi represents Rae Bareli in the Lok Sabha

59 Assembly seats going to polls today spread across the districts of Pilibhit, Lakhimpur Kheri, Sitapur, Hardoi, Unnao, Lucknow, Rae Bareli, Banda, and Fatehpur.