Moderate, peaceful polling in PM Modi’s Varanasi

Curtains came down on 7-phase UP assembly elections on Monday with last round of polling in 54 seats of Purvanchal region. The districts that went to polls were Azamgarh, Mau, Jaunpur, Ghazipur, Chandauli, Varanasi, Mirzapur, Bhadohi and Sonbhadra. A total of 613 candidates were in the fray. The fate of Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party president Om Prakash Rajbhar, state tourism minister Neelkanth Tiwari, former minister in Yogi Adityanath government Dara Singh Chauhan along with Abbas Ansari, the son of gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari have been sealed in the EVMs. The counting of votes will take place on March 10

VARANASI: The fate of 70 candidates, in fray for Varanasi’s eight assembly seats, was sealed in EVMs on Monday when voting ended peacefully in the seventh and final phase of UP elections. A total of 58.80% turnout was recorded in Varanasi district till 6 pm.

Barring a few incidents of arguments between supporters of different parties, voting took place peacefully.

Now on March 10, when counting will take place, Varanasi will be among the mostwatched districts as three UP ministers are in fray from here. The three ministers are: Anil Rajbhar (Shivpur seat), Ravindra Jaiswal (Varanasi North) and Neelkanth Tiwari (Varanasi South).

Varanasi is the Lok Sabha constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The average voting in the holy city’s constituencies was: Pindra 57.84%, Ajgara 61.82%, Shivpur 63.48%, Rohania 60.34%, Varanasi North 56.82%, Varanasi South 59.13%, Varanasi Cantt 51.35% and Sewapuri 61.72%

In 2017, Bharatiya Janata Party won six seats, while its ally Apna Dal-S and then ally SBSP won a seat each. But the equations are different this time as SBSP is in alliance with Samajwadi Party.

The Varanasi South constituency, considered to be a stronghold of Bharatiya Janata Party, has areas where Kashi Vishwanath temple, which has been beautified and expanded as Kashi Vishwanath Corridor, Maa Annpurna temple, Baba Kaal Bhairav temple and a number of other temples and ghats exist.

Here, BJP candidate Neelkanth Tiwari witnessed a tough challenge from SP’s Kishan Dixit in the polls.

Ravindra Jaiswal, who won the Varanasi North seat in 2012 and 2017, is seeking re-election. Samajwadi Party’s Ashfaq Ahmed has contested against Jaiswal. Munna Singh, a resident of the area, says this time the contest was tough. “Rest the result will tell,” he said.

Anil Rajbhar is seeking re-election from Shivpur seat where Arvind Rajbhar has contested as SBSP-SP alliance candidate.

There is direct contest between Samajwadi Party and BJP on Sevapuri seat where the BJP has fielded Nilratan Patel ‘Neelu’ and Samajwadi Party trusted Surendra Singh Patel. In Pindra, Congress’ Ajay Rai is pitted against BJP’s Awadhesh Singh.

After casting his vote, cardiologist at IMS-BHU prof Om Shankar said: “Everyone must cast his vote.”

Meanwhile, ‘divyang mitras’ and police personnel helped elderly voters and speciallyabled voters at some polling booths. Wheel chairs were placed at polling booths where the number of specially-abled voters was more than 50.

IN 2017, BJP WON SIX SEATS, WHILE ITS ALLY APNA DALS AND THEN ALLY SBSP WON A SEAT EACH. BUT THE EQUATIONS ARE DIFFERENT THIS TIME AS SBSP IS IN ALLIANCE WITH SAMAJWADI PARTY

People visit Kashi Vishwanath temple after casting their votes in Varanasi on Monday.

HT PHOTO Cutouts of cartoon characters attract young voters in Varanasi.

ANI PHOTO Women voters show their IDs while waiting in a queue to cast their votes for the seventh and final phase of UP assembly elections, at a polling station, in Varanasi on Monday.

AFP A security personnel stands guard as voters stand in a queue , in Varanasi.

HT Sankatmochan Temple chief priest Vishwambhar Nath Mishra and his wife cast their vote in Varanasi

ANI PHOTO Voters at a polling booth in Varanasi on Monday.

Dhananjai Singh and his wife after casting their vote in Jaunpur.

HT Union minister Mahendra Nath Pandey after casting his vote

HT BJP candidate Alka Rai and her son Piyush after casting their vote in Ghazipur.

PTI Union minister Anupriya Patel after casting vote.

HT Obra MLA Sanjiv Gond and his wife Leel Devi after casting their vote.

Deepak Pandey cast his vote.