Phase-ii of UP polls matches 2012 turnout

A TURNOUT of over 65 per cent was recorded in 67 constituencies across 11 districts of western UP, which went to polls in the second phase of state elections on Wednesday. The figure was slightly less than the 2012 polls, when the turnout was recorded at 65.17 per cent in the second phase.

Bijnor, Saharanpur, Moradabad, Sambhal, Rampur, Bareilly, Amroha, Pilibhit, Kheri, Shahjahanpur and Badaun districts went to the polls on Wednesday.

“Polling was held peacefully amid tight security... The average turnout was over 65 per cent in these seats,” UP Chief Electoral Officer T Venkatesh said.

The voter turnout in the first phase of polls held in 15 districts of western UP was recorded at 64.2 per cent — an increase of nearly 3 percentage points from the first phase turnout in the 2012 state polls.

On Wednesday, while Nakud in Saharanpur recorded the highest turnout of 72.50 per cent, lowest polling was recorded at Bareilly at 53 per cent. Among the districts, Saharanpur recorded a poll percentage of 70.67, followed by Amroha at 69, Pilibhit 67.28, Bijnor67.26,kheri66.38,sambhal 65.45,Rampur64.55,moradabad 64.36,Bareilly62.17,badaun60.89 and Shahjahanpur 60.2.

In Saharanpur, alleged pamphlets carrying the name of Jamiat-ulema-e-hind leader Maulana Arshad Madni, urging Muslims to vote for BSP, were found scattered. However, the organisation later issued a statement denying any connection with such pamphlets. At Bareilly, Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi’s 115-year-old grandfather Z H Kazmi cast his ballot. At certain places, while long queues wereseenoutsidepollingstations, the photograph of a newly-married couple going vote in Bareilly went viral on social media.

Of the 67 seats at stake, the ruling SP had won 34 seats in the 2012 polls, followed by BSP 18, BJP 10, Congress three and others two. In this phase, 721 candidates, including 62 women, are in the fray.