60% turnout in 4th phase; SP neta’s son shot at

Voter turnout in the fourth phase of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls Thursday was 60.37 per cent, marred by clashes in some areas.

Chief electoral officer T. Venkatesh told reporters that highest polling was recorded in Lalitpur at 71.4 per cent, and the lowest in Allahabad at 54.4 per cent.

He said though voters boycotted polling in protest against lack of development in some constituencies in Bundelkhand, local officials later persuaded them to vote. Electronic voting machines which developed snags in at least a dozen places were replaced in no time.

Clashes were reported from Mahoba between Samajwadi Party workers and Bahujan Samaj Party supporters.

Saket Sahu, 32, son of Mahoba SP candidate Siddh Gopal Sahu, and two others were injured in firing allegedly by the son and supporters of the BSP candidate.

Saket Sahu was taken to hospital in Kanpur, where doctors said his condition was serios. The two others, Gyan Singh and Tariq, were taken to Lucknow for treatment.

Mr Sahu’s family filed a complaint with Mahoba Kotwali police station, following which two people were arrested.

The people said trouble began when the SUVs of the two political rivals collided at Bajaria market in the wee hours Thursday.

In the fourth phase, polling was held on 53 Assembly seats across 12 districts, including Rae Bareli, Allahabad and Pratapgarh.

— PTI (Left) First-time voters take a selfie after casting their votes in the fourth phase of the UP Assembly elections in Allahabad on Thursday. A senior citizen shows his inked finger after casting his ballot at a polling station in Allahabad on Thursday.