Gadkari targets Mayawati, Mulayam over law and order problem in UP

Allahabad, Feb 8 (ANI): Amid the ongoing polling for the first phase of Uttar Pradesh assembly polls, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday hit out at Chief Minister Mayawati and Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Mulayam Singh Yadav for the state's deteriorating law and order situation.

"With development as the top most issue in Uttar Pradesh for past many years, we have noticed that there is also a serious problem of law and order. Though we have given foremost preference to development, but in past some years when Mulayam Singh was the chief minister, the law and order in the province went haywire," Gadkari told mediapersons here.

"If the same government comes into power again, there will be no development in Uttar Pradesh and people would not be able to live peacefully," he added.

Polling for the first phase of the state assembly polls for 55 seats in 10 districts began at 7 a.m. The fate of 862 candidates across 18108 polling stations will be decided in this phase. The candidates include 796 men, 65 women and one eunuch.

More than 1.70 lakh electorate would cast their votes in this phase of polling to be held in Sitapur, Barabanki, Faizabad, Ambedkar Nagar, Bahraich, Shravasti, Balrampur, Gonda, Siddharth Nagar and Basti.

The polls in Uttar Pradesh are being viewed as an opportunity for major parties to re-establish their foothold in the country's fifth largest and most populous state.

Polls in Uttar Pradesh will be conducted between February 8 and March 3. The counting of votes will take place on March 6.

The poll results will broadly indicate trends for the 2014 general elections. (ANI)