UP polls: 57.45% voter turnout recorded till 5 pm in fourth phase

| Updated: 23 February, 2022 2:32 pm IST

LUCKNOW: 57.45% voting was recorded till 5 pm in the fourth phase of the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections. The highest average turnout was recorded at 62.42% in (Lakhimpur) Kheri, followed by 61.33% in Pilibhit.

Voting is being held in 59 constituencies, including state capital Lucknow, spread across nine districts. The districts in which polling is being held are Pilibhit, Lakhimpur Kheri, Sitapur, Hardoi, Unnao, Lucknow, Rae Bareli, Banda and Fatehpur.

Of the 59 seats, the BJP had won 51 in the 2017 elections, while the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party had won four and three seats respectively. The BJP’s ally Apna Dal (Sonelal) had fetched one seat.

86,000 central paramilitary force personnel and 1.5 lakh UP police personnel are deployed to maintain law and order.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi prayed at the Mari Mata temple in Lucknow before begining campaign in Amethi @Anand_Journ @priyankagandhi @INCUttarPradesh #UttarPradeshElections pic.twitter.com/mCR6sQYc49

— The New Indian (@TheNewIndian_in) February 23, 2022

Law Minister Brijesh Pathak, who is facing Samajwadi party candidate and two-time corporator Surendra Singh Gandhi in the Lucknow Cantonment seat, and another BJP state minister Ashutosh Tandon from Lucknow East seat are among the prominent names who are in the fray.

#UPElections2022
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Law min @brajeshpathakup who’s contesting in Ph4 polls today in Lucknow tells @rohanduaT02

एक वर्ग के लोग गुड्डु /बबलू बन हिंदू लड़कियों को फँसाते थे।क़ानून मंत्री बन ने के बाद लव जिहाद बिल लाया। चुनाव विकास के बल पर जीत रहे हैं

Q&A: https://t.co/nboeUxjsot pic.twitter.com/K9UO2GEEHp

— The New Indian (@TheNewIndian_in) February 23, 2022

The polling began in all the nine districts at 7 am and will conclude at 6pm.

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After casting his vote at the Nari Shakti Niketan polling booth, Samajwadi Party candidate from Lucknow central Ravidas Mehrotra told The New Indian, “I am hopeful of winning this seat as people are backing for change. I have the support of people as we have been constantly seeking development.”

Samajwadi Party candidate from Sarojini Nagar seat (Lucknow), Abhishek Mishra, talks to @Anand_Journ on the day of polling #UttarPradeshElections2022 pic.twitter.com/uqoaOmZIZg

— The New Indian (@TheNewIndian_in) February 23, 2022

“BJP will not only repeat the history but it is also an undeniable possibility that our number of seats will increase,” Defence minister Rajnath Singh said in Lucknow after casting his vote.

उ.प्र. विधान सभा चुनाव-2022 का आज चतुर्थ चरण है।

भयमुक्त, दंगामुक्त, अपराधमुक्त, भ्रष्टाचारमुक्त प्रदेश के लिए, विकासयुक्त और सुरक्षायुक्त अपने सपनों का उत्तर प्रदेश बनाने के लिए सभी सम्मानित मतदाता गण अपने मताधिकार का प्रयोग अवश्य करें।

अतः ध्यान रहे…

पहले मतदान फिर जलपान

— Yogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) February 23, 2022

Political leaders across parties took to social media to urge voters to cast their votes.

जितना अधिक मतदान होगा, लोकतंत्र उतना अधिक बलवान होगा।

चौथे चरण में ऐतिहासिक मतदान करें… नागरिक के इस अधिकार का सम्मान करें! pic.twitter.com/kcJXnxWqkq

— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) February 23, 2022

ALSO READ: BJP Changed Its Law Minister Candidate, Brajesh Pathak, From Lucknow Central Sensing Defeat: SP Candidate Ravidas Mehrotra

उप्र के मेरे प्यारे बहनों-भाइयों

आपको मुद्दों से भटकाने की लाख कोशिशें होंगी। लेकिन आपका वोट अगर रोजगार, रोजी-रोटी, अच्छी शिक्षा व सेहत, महिला सशक्तिकरण के मुद्दे पर पड़ेगा, तभी उत्तरप्रदेश की बेहतरी संभव है।

प्रदेश को तरक्की की राह पर ले जाने के लिए जिम्मेदारी से मतदान करें।

— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) February 23, 2022