From mandap to polling booth: Newly-wed bride turns up for voting in full bridal avatar in UP

New Delhi: Almost every election season, pictures and videos of newly-wed couples rushing to polling stations to cast their votes go viral on social media platforms. Sunday (February 20, 2022) was no different when a just-married couple made all heads turn as they arrived at a polling booth in the Firozabad assembly constituency.

A newly-wed bride, Julie cast her vote in the Firozabad district in full bridal avatar before leaving for her in-laws' house. She got married last night and was leaving for her in-laws' house this morning, reported ANI.

As many as 59 assembly constituencies spanning 16 districts of Uttar Pradesh are currently voting.

Voting began at 7 am and will continue till 6 pm across Hathras, Firozabad, Etah, Kasganj, Mainpuri, Farrukhabad, Kannauj, Etawah, Auraiya, Kanpur Dehat, Kanpur Nagar, Jalaun, Jhansi, Lalitpur, Hamirpur and Mahoba.

So far, an average of 8.15 per cent of the 2.15 crore votes have been polled across all seats in the third phase of assembly polls, according to UP election officials.

As per the data shared by the Election Commission, the average polling percentage till 9 am was 7.62 per cent in Hathras, 9.85 per cent in Firozabad, 9.53 per cent in Kasganj, 10.16 per cent in Etah, 11.02 per cent in Mainpuri, 5.88 per cent in Farrukhabad, 10.11 per cent in Kannauj, 6.83 per cent in Etawah, 7.74 per cent in Auraiya, 6.18 per cent in Kanpur Dehat, 5.66 per cent in Kanpur Nagar, 9.53 per cent in Jalaun, 7.69 per cent in Jhansi, 9.36 per cent in Lalitpur, 9.58 per cent in Hamirpur and 8.00 per cent in Mahoba.

Earlier in the 2017 Assembly elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had won 49 of these 59 seats while the Samajwadi Party (SP) had bagged nine. Congress had settled with one seat and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) was unable to open its account.