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UP polls: Over 61 per cent voter turnout in fourth phase
Pilibhit’s Barkhera, Kheri’s Nigahasan, Lucknow’s Bakshi Ka Talab top three assembly constituencies in terms of voter turnout during the fourth phase of the UP polls
An average voter turnout of 61.65% was recorded across 59 assembly constituencies spread over nine districts that went to polls in the fourth phase of the UP polls on Wednesday, revised data available with the election commission showed.
According to commission’s data, Pilibhit recorded the highest turnout at 67.16% followed by 67.15% in Lakhimpur Kheri and 62.66% in Sitapur. With only 57.73% polling, Unnao recorded the lowest turnout closely followed by Hardoi that recorded 58.99% turnout. Lucknow was seventh on the list of nine districts.
The average voter turnout in these nine districts was 62.55% in 2017 and 57.52% in the 2012 UP polls.
The first phase of polling on February 10 had seen 62.43% polling, the second phase (February 14) 64.44% and the third phase (February 20) 63.04%.
Earlier in the day, UP’s chief electoral officer Ajay Kumar Shukla said that only 57.45% of the total 2.13 crore voters in the fourth phase exercised their franchise till 5pm.
“The voting started at 7am and lasted till 6pm. As per the reports received from districts concerned 58.94% voters exercised their franchise on Wednesday,” he had said subsequently. The figure was revised again late at night.
The fourth phase, the half-way mark of the UP assembly polls, sealed the electoral fate of 624 candidates in EVMs.
Shukla claimed the voting in all the nine districts was held peacefully and no untoward incident was reported from anywhere.
Among the 59 assembly segments where voting took place on Wednesday, Barkhera constituency in Pilibhit recorded the highest voter turnout at 71% followed by Lakhimpur Kheri’s Nighasan (69.39%) and Lucknow’s BKT (69%).
Within Lucknow district that comprises nine assembly seats, BKT registered the highest turnout at 69%. Mohanlalganj recorded 67.48%, Malihabad 66.10%, Sarojini Nagar 60.10%, Lucknow West 58.21%, Lucknow Central 56.02%, Lucknow North 55.50%, Lucknow East 55.26%, and Lucknow Cantt 53.57%.
Shukla also said 73.67% voter turnout was recorded on the booth number 266 (Primary School Jaswantpur) under Karhal assembly constituency in Mainpuri district till 5pm. The commission had ordered repolling at this booth following a complaint by Union minister SP Singh Baghel, who is the BJP candidate.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav made his assembly poll debut from this seat where the election was held in the third phase on February 20.
Lakhimpur Kheri recorded a high voter turnout in 2017 and 2012 as well. In 2017, the district recorded 68.47% that was the second highest after Sitapur.
Shukla also said that postal ballots were issued to a total of 60585 eligible voters (above 80 years, disabled and personnel engaged in essential services and poll duty). Among them, 52,512 voters cast their vote using postal ballots under observers’ vigil.
While the BJP had won 50 of 59 seats in the 2017 assembly elections, the SP won four seats, the Congress won two, the BSP won two and BJP ally Apna Dal-S won a seat.
The Akhilesh Yadav-led SP clinched 40 seats in the 2012 elections.
Three more phases of the election, to decide 172 seats in a 403-member assembly, remain and will be held on February 27, March 3 and March 7. The counting of votes will be held on March 10.
