Voting kicked off in the first phase of legislative elections in India's largest state of Uttar Pradesh on Thursday, touted as the semi-final before the general elections in 2024.
Polling began at 7am in the western region of the politically crucial northern Indian state, adhering to all Covid-safety protocols. The first-phase voting will end at 6pm in the state, governed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's nationalist BJP.
Uttar Pradesh will vote over seven phases --February 10, 14, 20, 23, 27, March 3 and 7. The poll is, in fact, the first in a series of important state elections due in India.
Polling will also be held in four other states -- Punjab and Uttarakhand in northern India, Goa in the west and Manipur in the northeast -- this month. Votes will be counted on March 10.
In fact, the BJP is in power in four of these five states, while the country's main opposition Congress party governs Punjab.
Uttar Pradesh with 403 assembly seats is crucial for the BJP as it's said that the road to Delhi passes through Lucknow, its capital, and the party that wins the state stands a fair chance of forming the next federal government.
Moreover, a win in Uttar Pradesh will be a major boost for the Prime Minister halfway through his second term in power. The general elections are due in India in 2024.