UP civic body election highlights: Nearly 50% voter turn out as polling ends, minor clashes reported in some districts

During second phase polling of the urban local body election in Uttar Pradesh, minor clashes reported from Azamgarh, Kanpur, Bulandshahr and some other districts.

A voter turnout of 49.33 per cent was recorded till 5 pm on Thursday in the final phase of the urban local body polls in Uttar Pradesh.

Preparations for counting of votes of urban local body election-2023, polling for which took place in Prayagraj in the first phase on May 4, are near completion. Read more.

77 representatives, including nine corporators, were elected unopposed in the second phase of UP civic body election, the state election commission said.

39,146 candidates are competing for 6,929 posts, which includes seven mayors and 581 corporators. Apart from this, voting is also being held to elect 95 chairpersons and 2,520 members of nagar palika parishads, and 267 chairpersons and 3,459 members of various nagar panchayats.

The Samajwadi Party alleges the BJP has resumed fake polling in Kannauj. “In Ward No. 16 of Kannauj, BJP people are trying to get fake polling done again. Election Commission should take cognizance, fair polling should be ensured,” its tweet read.

As per the latest data on polling turn out in the ongoing UP civic body polls, Baghpat district led the chart at 53.96 per cent voter turnout till 3 pm. Hapur, Gautam Buddh Nagar, Kannauj were also among the districts to have recorded over 50 per cent polling.

In the ongoing polling for urban local body election in Uttar Pradesh, 40.80 per cent voting was recorded till 3 pm.

A voter turnout of 30.80 per cent was recorded till 1 pm the final phase of the urban local body polls in Uttar Pradesh, ongoing today.

Samajwadi Party accused ruling party of indulging in fake voting in the Gursahaiganj polling booth of Kannauj.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, in his message to people, tweeted, "Today is the last phase of polling for the Uttar Pradesh Municipal elections-2023. All respected voters are appealed to participate in this festival of democracy to form a triple-engine government. Do vote. Your valuable vote will make your municipal corporation more empowered."

In a series of tweets, the main opposition Samajwadi Party accused members of the ruling party of indulging in fake voting in the Gursahaiganj polling booth of Kannauj.

It also claimed that the husband of an Independent nominee in Kanpur's Ghatampur was shot and that Dalits and OBCs were being denied voting rights.

Prominent among the early voters were state finance minister Suresh Khanna who exercised his franchise at a school located at Diwan Jograj, Cooperatives Minister JPS Rathore and PWD Minister Jitin Prasad at Sudama Prasad Vidyalaya in Shahjahanpur.

Speaker of the state Assembly Satish Mahana cast his vote in Kanpur and minister of state (independent charge) for environment, forest and climate change Arun Kumar in Bareilly.

Union minister and Apna Dal leader Anupriya Patel, who cast her vote in Mirzapur said that efforts were on to ensure the progress of the district. 

BJP has fielded 10,758 candidates (out of whom 4,248 are women), the highest among all parties. The SP has fielded the second highest number of candidates – 5,231 (of whom 2,223 are women); followed by BSP with 3,787 (1,611 women) contestants. The Congress and the AAP have fielded 2,994 (1,395 women) and 2,447 (1,031 women) contestants, respectively.

Over 66% of the total candidates in both phases of the polls are independents. Details

Samajwadi Party alleges that ‘Muslim voters at the Bholanath Dharamshala polling booth of Kannauj Municipal Council were assaulted by people of the ruling party and that the police remained mute spectators.’

There have been reports of six fake voters being caught at a polling booth in Mau district, as per PTI.

"At booth numbers 56, 58, 59 in Ward No. 16 Chhepatti of Municipality Kannauj, BJP MP Subrata Pathak and his colleagues misbehave with SP workers and voters. Take note Election Commission. Ensure fair polling. @SECUttarPradesh @dm_kannauj," Samajwadi Party said in a tweet.

“People should come out in large numbers and vote for the best candidates,” says BJP leader JPS Rathore tells PTI after casting his vote at a booth in Shahjahanpur.

 10.49% voter turnout recorded in 38 districts till 9 am

Shahjahanpur is a newly formed constituency and will choose its first ever mayor this time. The seat is reserved for female candidates from the Other Backward Classes. 

Meerut and Aligarh had BSP mayors in 2017 while the BJP ruled the rest.

"The way people are enthusiastically voting for the development of Aligarh, it seems that BJP will at least secure over 1 lakh votes,” party MP Satish Gautam told PTI after casting his vote at a polling booth in Aligarh.