UP elections fifth phase sees 57.36% turnout in late surge
PEACEFUL POLLING The turnout figure was 38.12% at 1 pm but at the end of the day it surpassed 2012’s turnout of 57.09%
An estimated 57.36% of the voters exercised their franchise till 5 pm on Monday, in the fifth phase of polling for 51 of 52 assembly constituencies in Uttar Pradesh with the focus particularly on Amethi and Faizabad.
The polling in 12 districts started on a slow note in the morning but gradually picked up as the day passed. The turnout figure was 38.12% at 1 pm but at the end of the day it surpassed 2012’s turnout of 57.09%.
Chief election officer (CEO) T Venkatesh said in the fifth phase 71.67 lakh more voters exercised their franchise as compared to 2012.
In Amethi, Congress candidate Ameeta Sinh visited a polling booth with her husband Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Sinh to cast her vote. Garima Singh, first wife of Sinh, too visited the polling booth with supporters to vote. Garima is also contesting the Amethi seat.
A row erupted after BJP and BSP leaders said controversial UP minister Gayatri Prajapati, another candidate for the Amethi seat, forced his entry into the booth. The district returning officer said an inquiry has been ordered.
In Parsauli village in Amethi assembly segment voters boycotted the poll over development issue while In Balrampur district a presiding officer Shalik Ram died due to heart attack.
Akhilesh says he has talked about donkeys in fun...I want to ask whether the bad state of police stations, people being stabbed and land being grabbed are also a part of fun NARENDRA MODI, prime minister We have started Metro train. Where is your bullet train?...it has been three years now since your government came to power, where has that train gone?...please hurry up as you will not get another chance AKHILESH YADAV, chief minister
In Lambhua assembly segment in Sultanpur district SP candidate Santosh Pandey clashed with his neighbour.
The family of one Ram Prakash, who died on Sunday night, stopped by the polling station to cast their vote before taking the body for cremation.
The fate of 607 candidates – 567 men and 40 women — was locked in ballot machines in Monday’s polling.
State assembly speaker Mata Prasad Pandey contested on the SP ticket from Itwa seat in Siddharth Nagar district. The ministers who are IN the fray included Vinod Kumar Singh alias Pandit Singh, Gayatri Prajapati, Pawan Pandey, Shiv Pratap Yadav, Yasar Shah, Bansi Dhar Baudh, Shankhlal Manjhi, Awadesh Prasad and Ramkaran Arya. Prominent leaders of other parties in the fray include Ameeta Sinh (Congress), BSP state president Ramachal Rajbhar, former ministers Lalji Verma and Ram Prasad Chaudhary (BSP), former BJP state unit president Ramapati Shastri, Peace Party chief Mohammad Ayub, former minister Rajkis- hore Singh (SP) and Prateek Bhusan Singh, son of Brijbhusan Sharan Singh, the Bharatiya Janata Party MP from Kaiserganj .
A festive mood was quite apparent in Ayodhya where a large number of sadhus and mahants cast their votes.
This phase was crucial for the Samajwadi Party that is striving had to retain power.
In the 2012 assembly election, the SP won 37 of the 52 seats, the BJP bagged five seats, the Congress five, the BSP three and the Peace Party two assembly seats. The BSP and the BJP are trying to regain their support and are giving the ruling SP a tough fight.
Additional chief electoral officer (ACEO) PK Pandey said there was no report of any untoward incident during polling.