Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday urged people eligible to vote in the first phase of the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls to participate in the exercise enthusiastically.

Remember that "pahle matdan, phir jalpan" (First vote, then have breakfast), he tweeted.

He urged voters to participate in this festival of democracy while adhering to Covid-19 norms.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also urged people to come out and vote and free the country from all fears as polling for the first phase of Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections was underway.

The battle for Uttar Pradesh began on Thursday with polling at 58 assembly seats spread across 11 districts in the western part of the state.

"Free the country from all fears -- come out and vote," Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi.

The districts where polling is being held are Shamli, Hapur, Gautam Buddh Nagar, Muzaffarnagar, Meerut, Baghpat, Ghaziabad, Bulandshahr, Aligarh, Mathura and Agra.

Polling started at 7 AM and will continue till 6 PM.