5% increase in avg polling percentage: SEC

LUCKNOW: The statewide poll percentage in the second phase of urban local bodies’ election in 25 districts of the state increased from 43.67% in 2012 to 48.65% this year.

State election commissioner SK Agarwal said, “The polling was peaceful, incident free and the about 5% increase in the poll percentage indicates people exercised their franchise in strong measure”.

The second phase of the local body elections included polling for the mayors of Lucknow, Varanasi, Mathura-Vrindavan, Ghaziabad, Allahabad and Aligarh.

Agarwal said more than the urban voters, those residing in the municipal corporation areas, the semi urban voters - nagar palika parishad and nagar panchayats - showed bigger enthusiasm in exercising their franchise.

Polling percentage in Lucknow increased from 35.6% (2012) to a mere 37.57%. In Ghaziabad, it rose from 43% to 46.90%, Aligarh from 46.6% to 51.41% and Allahabad from 31 % to 34.20%. Only in Varanasi, the polling percentage showed remarkable increase from 35.4% to 44.39%, Agarwal said.

Whereas in Sant Kabir Nagar district, it increased from 53.8% (2012) to 67.59%, Shravasti from 55.8% to 65.80%, Ballia from 45.9% to 60.05% and Sant Ravidas Nagar from 57.5% to 64.23%.

When asked about the incidents of violence in various districts, Agarwal said there was no firing in Shahjhanpur district, polling was not disturbed in Aligarh after police controlled a group clash, one person was killed due to enmity in Sultanpur district and one person each was arrested in Varanasi and Bhadohi on charge of presenting fake Aadhaar card.

“I have sought a report from Mainpuri district administration over the incident of firing. Strict action will be taken against the district administration officers if they fail to arrest the culprits. The district magistrate told me that probe has been ordered if anti-social elements fired to scare the voters or someone burst crackers,” Agarwal said.

Over the discrepancies in the voter lists and missing voters, Agarwal said the State Election Commission (SEC) had deleted the name of the large number of voters whose name figured in the voters’ lists of rural local bodies’ election.

A large number of voters, who have houses in villages as well as cities, have got themselves enrolled in both the places, he said.

The SEC removed the name of voters who already exercised their franchise in rural local bodies’ election. The name of these voters might figure in the electoral roll prepared by Election Commission of India for Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections, he said.

The SEC has removed the name of the 80.59 lakh voters from the lists and added the name of 94 lakh new voters as well, he said.

The SEC has put the voters’ list on its website. A voter can easily check if his name figures on the electoral roll.

A voter could easily download the voter slip and locate his booth as well. The SEC had given advertisements in newspapers to inform the voters to locate their names and booths, he said.

Agarwal said faults were reported in EVMs in various districts. It made no impact on the voting process since surplus EVMs were in stock and faulty ones were replaced within 20 to 30 minutes.

Over the demand of the some organizations for publication of voter lists in Urdu Agarwal said the voters’ list has been published in ‘Devnagari’ script according to the rules of the UP Nagar Nigam Act and UP Nagar Palika Parishad Act.