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London mayoral candidate Labour Party's Sadiq Khan arrives with his wife Saadiya to cast their votes at a polling station in Streatham, south west London, Thursday May 5, 2016. Britons are voting in local and regional elections expected to deal a blow to Britain's main opposition Labour Party. Image Credit: AP

London: Voters are heading for polls booths in a series of elections across the UK on what has been dubbed "Super Thursday", but attention is most focused on a mayoral joust which could see the British capital get its first Muslim Mayor.

Elections are taking place for the Scottish parliament, National Assembly of Wales, the Northern Ireland assembly and for 124 councils in England, BBC reported.

New mayors will be elected in London, Bristol, Liverpool and Salford, with parliamentary by-elections in Ogmore and Sheffield Brightside.

In London, Labour's Sadiq Khan, 45, is seen as having an edge over the Conservative Zac Goldsmith and Liberal Democrat Caroline Pidgeon, according to media reports.

The son of working-class Pakistani immigrants, Khan began his career as a human-rights lawyer and later entered Parliament. He quickly rose to become a minister in Gordon Brown's government.

Polling stations across the country opened at 7.00 a.m., with voting allowed until 10.00 p.m.

Counting will take place throughout Friday with the majority of results declared on the day.

Khan as Mayor would help fight extremism

 

However, some English council results will not be announced until Saturday while the final result of the Northern Irish election is not expected until Sunday.