An average voter turnout of 49.81 per cent was recorded in Punjab while Uttar Pradesh in its third phase of the Assembly elections witnessed an average voter turnout of 48.81 per cent till 3 pm on Sunday.

2.14 crore voters will decide the fate of 1,304 candidates in Punjab as voting for the first phase of the Assembly election in the state will take place from 8 am to 6 pm on Sunday. On the other hand, voting for 59 assembly constituencies spread across 16 districts of Uttar Pradesh commenced in the third phase of the polls at 7 am. 

Punjab, which is currently ruled by the Congress, is witnessing a multi-cornered contest among the Congress, AAP, SAD-BSP, BJP-PLC-SAD (Sanyukt) and the Sanyukt Samaj Morcha.

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Chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi, Aam Aadmi Party’s chief ministerial face Bhagwant Mann, former CMs Amarinder Singh and Parkash Singh Badal, Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal, and Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu are some of the prominent faces who are in the fray in the state.

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Congress, which has come under attack over issues such as drug menace and corruption in the state, is banking on decisions like reduction in electricity tariff and fuel prices. 

Meanwhile, Shiromani Akali Dal is contesting the polls in alliance with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) after breaking ties with the BJP in 2020 over the farm laws issue.

The BJP, on the other hand, has entered into an alliance with Amarinder Singh-led Punjab Lok Congress and Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa-led SAD (Sanyukt).

The Aam Aadmi Party too has also emerged as a major contender and is eyeing to wrest power while projecting the Delhi model of governance.

Meanwhile, in Uttar Pradesh, elections are being held in seven phases, the third of which is being held today. This phase will see Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav fighting against BJP’s SP Singh Baghel for the Karhal Assembly seat.

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Campaigning for the third phase ended on Friday, with senior leaders of the parties making a final effort to woo voters. As many as 627 candidates are in the fray in the third phase, in which over 2.15 crore people are eligible to vote.

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Hathras, Firozabad, Etah, Kasganj, Mainpuri, Farrukhabad, Kannauj, Etawah, Auraiya, Kanpur Dehat, Kanpur Nagar, Jalaun, Jhansi, Lalitpur, Hamirpur and Mahoba are some of the districts going to polls in the third phase.