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

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.

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.

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.”

“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.

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

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