Lucknow, April 19 : Polling for eight Lok Sabha constituencies in Uttar Pradesh began on Friday in the first phase of parliamentary elections.

The Lok Sabha seats where polling is underway are Saharanpur, Bijnor, Kairana, Muzaffarnagar, Nagina (reserved), Moradabad, Rampur and Pilibhit, located in nine districts of western Uttar Pradesh.

According to information provided by the Uttar Pradesh Police headquarters, 6,018 inspectors and sub-inspectors; 35,750 constables; and 24,992 home guard personnel, along with 60 companies of the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) and 220 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) have been deployed to ensure peaceful polling.

Uttar Pradesh's Chief Electoral Officer Navdeep Rinwa said that 1.43 crore people are eligible to cast their votes in the first phase. Of them, 76.23 lakh are men, 67.14 lakh women and 824 are transgender persons. According to data compiled by political parties, Muslim voters account for 35 to 50 per cent of the electorate in these constituencies.

A total of 14,849 polling booths and 7,689 polling centres have been set up for the first phase of voting.

A total of 80 candidates -- 73 men and 7 women -- are in the fray in the first phase.

Twelve candidates are in the fray from Moradabad, 14 from Kairana, 11 each from Muzaffarnagar and Bijnor, 10 each from Saharanpur and Pilibhit and six each from Nagina and Rampur.

The BJP has joined hands with the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) and the SP has allied with the Congress for the election, while the BSP has decided to go solo.

Prominent candidates in this phase are Prasada from Pilibhit, Union Minister Sanjeev Balyan from Muzaffarnagar and Azad Samaj Party chief Chandra Shekhar Azad from Nagina.

/IANS