60% turnout in fourth phase of polls in UP amid stray violence

The fourth phase of polling for 53 assembly constituencies, spread over 12 districts of Uttar Pradesh, passed off peacefully on Thursday, barring a few incidents of violence, with 60.37% voter turnout.

In 2012 the polling percentage in these districts was 60.20.

This phase of voting was crucial for the state’s ruling Samajwadi Party and main opposition BSP -- both major contenders for power this time too -- as they had won nearly 40 of these seats in 2012

The turnout was 60.37% till 5 pm and since many voters stood in queue inside the polling stations at the time for closure of the exercise, the final figure was set to go up, said chief electoral officer T Venkatesh.

While, Lalitpur recorded the highest voter turnout of 71.44%, Allahabad registered the lowest --54.48%.

Violence was reported in Mahoba where SP and BSP supporters clashed, leaving four people injured. The clash took place when vehicles of SP candidate Siddhgopal Sahu’s son Saket Sahu and BSP candidate Arimardan Singh’s son Himanchal Singh collided, leading to firing, allegedly by Singh and his supporters.

Two of the injured -- Lala Bhaiya and Tariq-- were rushed to a hospital, where their condition was stated to be stable, police said. Saket too is reported to have been injured in the clash.

The pace of voting was slow in the first few hours but picked up as the day advanced.

The constituencies where polling was held included those in the backward Bundelkhand region and the Nehru-Gandhi pocket borough of Rae Bareli, represented in the Lok Sabha by Congress President Sonia Gandhi.

Other than Bundelkhand districts of Chitrakoot, Banda, Hamirpur, Jalaun, Jhansi, Lalitpur and Mahoba, polling was held in Fatehpur, Kaushambi, Allahabad, Pratapgarh and Rae Bareli.