UP civic polls: 51-52 pc turnout in phase-II, peaceful voting

Around 51-52 per cent voting was recorded in the second phase of the Uttar Pradesh civic polls on Sunday amid reports of stray cases of EVM malfunctioning and disputes over names of voters missing from the list.

“51-52 per cent polling this time in the 25 districts, which went to the polls today, shows a jump over the previous turnout of 43.67,” State Election Commissioner S K Agarwal told reporters at the close of the polling hours.

The polling passed off peacefully, he added.

Braving the early morning chill, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma cast their votes in Lucknow, where drones were deployed to keep a hawk-eyed vigil on the marathon exercise.

The fate of the candidates in the second phase would be decided by 1.3 crore voters. In the state capital, Rajnath Singh cast his vote along with his wife and family members, including son Pankaj Singh who is a legislator.

Sharma, who voted with his wife in the Aishbagh area, said, “The BJP is committed to working for the people and the opposition should realise that it was the people’s love and trust which had ensured the party’s victory in the Assembly polls. In the civic polls too, the party is going to win.”

Agarwal also exercised his franchise and appealed to the people to cast their votes.

“If you want basic amenities in your city, you should come out of your homes and vote in large numbers,” he said. Another Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister, Keshav Prasad Maurya, voted in Allahabad.