<span style="color: #222222;">Polling for the by-election on the two parliamentary seats in Uttar Pradesh passed off peacefully. 41.66 percent voters used their franchise till 5 pm. In Rampur 37.01 percent polling was recorded till 5 PM and in Azamgarh 45. 97 percent voters used their franchise. </span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">A total of 19 candidates including a woman candidate are in fray at the two constituencies. </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The bypoll to the Rampur seat was necessitated by the resignation of Samajwadi party chief Akhilesh Yadav after being elected MLA in March, while the Azamgarh seat fell vacant after Azam Khan quit as MP for the same reason.</span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">From Rampur, the BJP has fielded Ghanshyam Singh Lodhi while the SP has nominated Asim Raja, a close associate of Azam Khan. The Mayawati-led BSP is not contesting from Rampur.The Azamgarh seat will see a triangular contest between the BJP's Dinesh Lal Yadav 'Nirhua', a famous Bhojpuri actor-singer; the SP's Dharmendra Yadav and the BSP's Shah Alam alias Guddu Jamali.</span><br />