Uttar Pradesh, India's most populous state, is going to the polls on Wednesday to pick members of the state government.

A sixth of the country's voters live in the state and how they vote locally matters nationally.

The state has 80 seats in the national parliament, and a good showing here is crucial for the national ruling coalition's grip on power.

The election is also being seen as a mid-term report card on the country's federal government which has been accused of corruption.

Al Jazeera's Sohail Rahman reports from Noida.