Photos: First phase of voting begins in Uttar Pradesh

A health worker checks the temperature of people coming to vote during the first phase of the Uttar Pradesh state elections in Mooradnagar, India. India's most populous state is voting in seven phases before results are declared in March.

Voting is now underway for 58 Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly seats and will continue till 6 pm.

An electoral official marks a voter's finger with indelible ink before casting a ballot at a polling station in Ghaziabad.

According to the Election Commission (EC), a voter turnout of 20.3 per cent was recorded till 11 am on Thursday in the first phase of the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, according to the Election Commission (EC).

As many as 623 candidates are in the fray on 58 assembly seats, where today's polls are held.

A woman voter undergoes thermal screening before casting her vote during the first phase of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly election, at the polling booth, Sahibabad, in Ghaziabad.

Voters queue up to cast their ballot at a polling station in Meerut.

A security personnel checks the Voter ID of a voter as he arrives to cast in Mathura.

A voter shows his inked finger after casting his ballot at a polling station in Vrindavan.

A specially-abled voter shows his ID card and ink-marked finger after casting a vote on the first phase of Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, at Sahibabad, in Ghaziabad.

Voters queue up to cast their ballot at a polling station in Muradnagar.

A voter shows her inked finger after casting her ballot at a polling station in Muradnagar.

A voter leaves after casting his ballot at a polling station in Vrindavan on February 10, 2022, during the first phase of Uttar Pradesh state assembly elections.

People stand in a queue to cast their vote outside a polling station during the state assembly election in the town of Vrindavan.