Large turnout as fifth phase polling ends in UP

LUCKNOW: Millions voted on Monday in the fifth phase of the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls spread across 51 constituencies in 11 districts, officials said.

An estimated 60 per the 1.8 crore electorate their franchise in the most populous state, the Commission said.

Barring minor incidents of violence and technical problems in the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), the balloting concluded peacefully, the poll panel said.

Amethi and Sultanpur saw healthy voting, with more than 60 per cent of the electorate voting. One official said the voting percentage was set to surpass the turnout of 2012.

The voting ranged from 52.4 per cent of exercised country’s Election cent at Siddarthnagar to 65 per cent each in Shravasti and Ambedkarnagar.

It was 53 per cent in Gonda and Balrampur districts, 58 in Faizabad and Sant Kabeernagar (58), 60 in Bahraich and 61 in Basti district.

As it has happened in the first four rounds that began on February 11, polling opened in the morning slowly but picked up speed as the day progressed.

There were long queues of men and women voters at all polling stations in Amethi, the Lok Sabha constituency of Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi.

BJP’s first timer Garima Singh is pitted against Gayatri Prajapati of the ruling Samajwadi Party and Congress’ Ameeta Singh in Amethi besides 21 other candidates. — IANS