Nearly 30 per cent votes were cast in the first two hours of polling for the bypoll in Milkipur Assembly constituency of Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday. Voting began at 7 am and will continue till 5 pm, officials said. According to the Election Commission (EC), 29.86 per cent votes were cast till 11 am. The Milkipur bypoll has turned into a prestige battle between the Samajwadi Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party as the seat is part of the politically significant Ayodhya district. While voting is underway at polling booths, Samajwadi Party leaders alleged that police are checking the identity cards of voters to "create fear" in them. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav posted on X, "The Election Commission should immediately take cognisance of pictures related to the news that Ayodhya Police -- senior police officers included -- is checking the ID cards of voters in Milkipur." "This is a murder of democracy by indirectly influencing voting by creating fear among voters. Such people