Update: Up Elections Phase 6

As the 6th phase for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections begins on Thursday, PM Modi appealed to voters to exercise their franchise. Taking to Twitter, PM Modi requested all to participate in the polls by voting and said that in a democracy, every vote counts.

"The festival of democracy in Uttar Pradesh has entered its sixth phase today. I humbly request to all the voters that they must participate in this festival with their votes. Every single vote of yours (is) the power of democracy!" he tweeted. Union Minister Amit Shah also appealed to voters to vote enthusiastically to choose a dynast and corruption-free government in the state.

UP CM Yogi Adityanath cast his vote at Primary School Gorakhnath Kanya Nagar Kshetra, in Gorakhpur. Polling is being held for 57 Assembly constituencies spread across 10 districts, including Gorakhpur, Ambedkarnagar, Ballia, Balrampur, Basti, Deoria, and Kushinagar, among others.

A total of 2,14,62,816 electorates including 1,14,63,113 males, 99,98,383 females and 1,320 3rd genders are expected to exercise their right to franchise to decide the fate of 676 candidates.

With 676 candidates in the fray in the 6th phase of the UP Assembly elections, CM Yogi Adityanath tops the chart of the prominent faces of this phase.

Yogi Adityanath is contesting the polls from Gorakhpur Urban. The BSP has pitted Khwaja Shamsuddin while Samajwadi Party (SP) has fielded Subhavati Shukla, the wife of late Upendra Dutt Shukla, a former BJP leader, against Adityanath.

Meanwhile, Congress Chetna Pandey will also fight against Adityanath. Besides Adityanath, prominent faces in this phase are state Congress president Ajay Kumar Lallu contesting from Tamkuhi Raj seat. On the other hand, Swami Prasad Maurya, who quit as minister to join the SP and is contesting from Fazilnagar seat, and Leader of Opposition in the state assembly, and senior Samajwadi Party leader Ram Govind Chaudhary contesting from Bansdih seat.

Polling for the 7th phase, the last phase, will be held on March 7. The counting of votes will be done on March 10.