UP assembly polls: Fifth phase concludes with over 55% turnout; Modi, others hold rallies

Polling for the remaining two phases will take place on March 3 and 7. The counting of votes will take place on March 10.

The fifth phase of Uttar Pradesh assembly election concluded at 6pm on Sunday with a voter turnout of 53.98% recorded till 5pm. A total of 61 constituencies across 12 districts went to the polls in the fifth phase where around 2.24 crore voters sealed the fate of 692 candidates.

Assembly Elections in Uttar Pradesh are being held in seven phases. Voting for the remaining three phases will take place on February 27, March 3, and 7. (PTI)

Amethi and Raebareli, once considered Congress strongholds, and Ayodhya, the epicentr of the Ram temple movement, voted on Sunday.

Meanwhile, top BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath and defence minister Rajnath Singh held rallies in the state.

Modi, who campaigned in his parliamentary constituency of Varanasi during the day, took a swipe at Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav for allegedly "wishing his death" in the temple town. He said till his death, neither will the people of Varanasi, also known as Kashi, leave him nor will Kashi leave him.

Singh lauded Modi for helping India gain ‘a powerful status in the world’, while slamming previous governments at the Centre for making the country ‘look weak’ at global forums.

Yadav continued his attack on Adityanath for the ‘rising youth unemployment’ in the state. “People are supporting Samajwadi Party in Yogiji's constituency, Gorakhpur, and this makes it clear that no one is happy with his work,” he said while campaigning in the CM’s home turf.

Polling for the remaining two phases will take place on March 3 and 7. The counting of votes will take place on March 10.