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Lok Sabha elections 2019: All eyes on bigwigs as battle shifts to east
Uttar Pradesh recorded 57.93% voter turnout for 14 constituencies that went to polls in the fifth phase of the ongoing general elections, on Monday.
Uttar Pradesh recorded 57.93% voter turnout for 14 constituencies that went to polls in the fifth phase of the ongoing general elections, on Monday.
In 2014, the voter turnout was 56.92% in these seats.
The remaining 27 of the state’s 80 seats will vote in the last two phases, on May 12 and 19.
While voting remained largely peaceful, reports of glitches in electronic voting machines (EVMs) emerged from all constituencies, including key seats such as Lucknow, from where Union home minister Rajnath Singh is seeking re-election, and Rae Bareli and Amethi, where United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi, are hoping to return, respectively.
Union minister and Bharatiya Janata Party candidate from Amethi, Smriti Irani, triggered a war of words on Monday when she accused the Congress president of “booth capturing”. “Alert @ECISVEEP Congress President @Rahul Gandhi ensuring booth capturing,” Irani said on Twitter, tagging the Election Commission of India’s official handle.
“Out of political desperation she is making false allegations of booth capturing. Ms Irani is ready to face her third consecutive Lok Sabha defeat and she should be scouting for the state which will provide her with the next Rajya Sabha seat,” Congress spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill said.
Reacting to the allegation, Chief Electoral Officer L Venkateshwarlu said, “It was examined and found baseless”.
In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP had won 12 out of 14 seats that went to polls on Monday. The Congress won two (Rae Bareli and Amethi) while Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party, both of which are in an alliance this time, drew a blank.
The mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance of SP, BSP, and Rashtriya Lok Dal) did not field candidates in Amethi and Rae Bareli, with BSP supremo Mayawati appealing to supporters of the mahagathbandan on Sunday to vote for the Congress in these two constituencies.
“The long drawn elections in UP are now about to end. It appears that the war of words will turn even more intense in the last two phases that will cover 27 constituencies,” said S K Dwivedi, a political analyst, and professor at the Lucknow University.
BSP chief Mayawati, who herself is not a candidate this season, queued up at a Lucknow booth to cast her vote. Other early voters in Lucknow included Union home minister Rajnath Singh and UP deputy CM Dinesh Sharma.
