Lucknow:  Voting for the fifth phase of Uttar Pradesh Elections has begun on Sunday. In the fifth phase, 692 candidates in 61 assembly constituencies across 12 districts are in the fray. Voter turnout is 46.28 per cent till 3 pm.

Voters to decide the fate of Dy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya, minister Sidharth Nath Singh, Congress Legislature Party leader Aradhana Mishra and others today.

UP minister Sidharth Nath Singh and his family offer prayers at Sai Baba Mandir in Prayagraj as voting in the fifth phase get underway. Singh is contesting as a BJP candidate from Allahabad West constituency.

Deputy CM KP Maurya said, "I believe that people of Sirathu will bloom Lotus and make the son of Sirathu win with a big margin of votes. BJP Government has been working for the welfare of the 24 crore people of Uttar Pradesh. That is why people have made up their minds to bloom the Lotus. 

"On 10th March, with the blessings of people, the Cycle of Akhilesh Yadav who is flying high in the sky of arrogance will fall in the Bay of Bengal. His bicycle had flown to Saifai first and now it will go to the Bay of Bengal". 

Aradhana Misra, Congress candidate from Rampur Khas is confident that the people of Rampur Khas would create history again. The main issues raised by Congress - of farmers, youth, women security and inflation - are the issues with which we went to public. People of UP will place their trust in Congress.

Jansatta Dal Loktantrik's Raghuraj Pratap Singh aka 'Raja Bhaiya', who is contesting from Kunda, cast his vote at a polling booth in Benti, He said, "Breaking your own record is a challenge in itself...will break my record."

Non-Yadav OBCs have a sizeable presence in the 5th phase. But in early January, the BJP was jolted by a spate of resignations, including by three backward classes ministers Swami Prasad Maurya, Dara Singh Chauhan and Dharam Singh Saini- all non-Yadav OBCs. And Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav inducted all three.