Bypolls | Voting underway in Mainpuri parliamentary and 2 assembly seats in U.P.

The bypolls are a direct contest between the ruling BJP and the opposition Samajwadi Party-Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) alliance. The BSP and the Congress are not contesting the seats.

Voting began Monday morning for the by-election to the Mainpuri parliamentary and Rampur Sadar and Khatauli assembly constituencies in Uttar Pradesh, where the Samajwadi Party (SP) is locked in a high-voltage contest with the BJP.

Elaborate security arrangements have been made to ensure a free and fair polling, police said.

"Polling has started at 7 am and will continue till 6 pm," according to an official at the office of the Uttar Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer.

The bypolls are a direct contest between the ruling BJP and the opposition Samajwadi Party-Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) alliance. The BSP and the Congress are not contesting the seats.

In these three seats, 24.43 lakh people -- 13.14 lakh men, 11.29 lakh women and 132 third gender voters -- are eligible to exercise their franchise.

Voting is take place at 3,062 polling booths located in 1,945 polling centres.

The by-election to the Mainpuri Lok Sabha seat is taking place due to the demise of SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadav, while the bypolls in Rampur Sadar and Khatauli were necessitated after SP MLA Azam Khan and BJP MLA Vikram Singh Saini were disqualified following their conviction in separate cases.