The first phase of election to Uttar Pradesh assembly has started in the 73 constituencies in the western region of the stae on Saturday. It is estimated that more than 2.6 people are expected to caste their votes.

According to a Times of India report there appears no clear front-runner among the three major contestants-BJP, SP-Congress and BSP-in the first phase.

The region has witnessed hectic campaigning over the last two weeks as prominent figures of each parties coming in last-minute rush to garner maximum support. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, UP chief minister and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, BSP chief Mayawati, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi and several of the cabinet ministers have appeared in the meeting calling for support from the public.

BJP, which aimed to repeat its performances in 2014 Lok Sabha polls, appears to be in no position to repeat their performance. Bahujan Samaj Party has, meanwhile, worked on improving their momentum and has made impact on the voters. Samajwadi Party, after their initial hiccups, aligned with Congress are expecting a great outcome this time. The Rashtriya Lok Dal is also prominent in the first phase with their stronghold among the Jat voters and is giving tough competition in many seats.