An estimated 57 percent votes were polled in the fourth phase of the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, which covered Rae Bareli and Amethi, bastions of Nehru-Gandhi family, and part of backward Bundelkhand region, for whose development Rahul Gandhi has made a strong case.

This phase of the seven-part polling would test fate of several stalwarts and heavyweights, including three ministers, 32 sitting MLAs, 12 former ministers, national vice-president of BJP Kalraj Mishra and Congress state president Rita Bahuguna Joshi.

A total of more than 1.74 crore voters would seal the fate of 967 candidates in the polling to be held in Hardoi, Unnao, Lucknow, Rae Bareli, Farukkhabad, CSM Nagar, Kannauj, Banda, Chitrakoot, Fatehpur and Pratapgarh.

Stakes are high for the ruling Bahujan Samaj Party, Congress, Samajwadi Party and BJP in the no-holds-barred fight for the 403 assembly seats. The fourth phase has 103 candidates with criminal cases pending against them. There are also 139 “crorepatis” in the contest.

Chief Electoral Officer Umesh Sinha said polling was being held at 18,608 polling booths at 12,821 centers. A total of 3,393 polling booths have been identified as sensitive and 3,623 as hyper-sensitive, he said.

In this phase, Kalraj Mishra, who is a Rajya Sabha member, is making his debut in electoral politics from Lucknow East seat, whereas Rita Bahuguna Joshi is in fray from Lucknow Cantonment seat.

The fourth phase would also test the luck of Louis Khursheed, wife of Law Minister Salman Khursheed from Farukkhabad Sadar constituency.

Congress Legislative Party leader Pramod Tiwari is seeking a re-run from his traditional Rampur Khas seat in Pratapgarh district. While urban development minister Nakul Dubey has shifted to Bakshi ka Talab seat, science and technology minister Abdul Mannan is seeking re-election from Sandila seat.