UP by-elections 2018 updates: 43% voter turnout in Gorakhpur, 38% in Phulpur till 5 pm

Voter turnout in Phulpur till 5 pm is 38%

#PhulpurByPoll: Voter turnout till 5 pm 38%

— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) March 11, 2018

40 percent polling in Gorakhpur, 29 percent in Phulpur till 4 pm: EC

Gorakhpur Lok Sabha constituency witnessed a polling percentage of around 40 per cent while Phulpur saw a turnout of around 29 per cent till 4 pm on Sunday, Election Commission sources said.

The voting for the bye-elections to the two Lok Sabha seats began on a dull note but picked up momentum in the day amid tight security, they said. The bypolls were necessitated after Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya vacated the Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha seats, respectively following their election to the state legislative council. – PTI Read more here.

Visuals from Phulpur

Voting continues for #Phulpur Lok Sabha seat by-poll. pic.twitter.com/UKCAWnf3uv

— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) March 11, 2018

Phulpur voter turnout rises to 26.6%

#PhulpurByPoll: Voter turnout till 3 pm 26.6%

— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) March 11, 2018

Only the ministers out to vote?

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was among the first to cast his vote on Sunday while his deputy Keshav Prasad Maurya cast his vote in Phulpur along with his wife and son in the morning, as the voter turnout percentage remains poor in both Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh.

Voter turnout by 1 pm:

Gorakhpur- 30.2 percent

Phulpur- 19.2 percent

Technical glitches observed in a few regions

Some snags in the electronic voting machines (EVMs) have been reported from a few places. Polling was held up at Kidwai college in Allahabad (East) for some time due to a technical glitch. 

Input from IANS

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Voter turnout picks up after slow start

After a poor start, polling in Gorakhpur and Phulpur parliamentary constituencies in Uttar Pradesh picked up as voters started queuing up outside polling booths.

Till 1 pm, 30.2 percent voting had been registered in Gorakhpur, where bypolls were necessitated after incumbent MP Yogi Adityanath quit as he took over as the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh.

In Phulpur, the parliamentary constituency of Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, voting till 1 pm was not very impressive and only 19.20 per cent votes had been cast. Heavy security deployment has been made in both the parliamentary constituencies.

Voting started at 7 am and will continue till 5 pm, a poll panel official said. 

The voting percentage till 11 am was poor and the average polling in both constituencies was 14.5 percent. 

Voting in Gorakhpur was 16.8 per cent till 11 am and in Phulpur, 12.2 per cent till 11 am.

Inputs from IANS

State health minister Siddharth Nath Singh casts his vote in Phulpur

#PhulpurByPoll: UP Health Minister Sidharth Nath Singh casts his vote in Phulpur. pic.twitter.com/psu1DFYxmA

— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) March 11, 2018

Voting picks up pace in Gorakhpur, Phulpur: 20% turnout till noon

Voting for the bye-elections to Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha seats, which began on a dull note on Sunday, picked up momentum by noon amid tight security arrangements to ensure free and fair polling.

Election office sources said nearly 20 percent of the electorate cast their ballots by mid-day and the exercise was going on peacefully. – PTI

‘Samajwadi Party, BSP indulging in negative politics’, says Adityanath

Attacking the opposition BSP and Samajwadi Party, Adityanath said, “Samajwadi Party and BSP are indulging in negative politics, politics of bargaining and politics of opportunism. The state has suffered the negative consequences (of Samajwadi Party and BSP). And in order to ensure that in future such situations do not arise, efforts have to be made to shun politics of casteism and dynastic politics, and focus on development and administration.”

On the electoral understanding of the two opposition parties, he said, “This will have no effect. I had wanted that in this bye-election if the Samajwadi Party, BSP and Congress had fought together, then results would have been much better.” – PTI

‘BJP getting widespread support from people’: Yogi Adityanath

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday said the BJP was getting widespread support from the people.

Speaking to reporters after casting his vote in the Gorakpur bypolls, the priest-turned-politician noted that the public believes in the mantra of development and governance given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Congress fights alone in UP

Congress has insisted it isn’t going to join forces with anybody, opting to go solo in both constituencies. “The Congress has already declared its candidates for the byelections to Phulpur and Gorakhpur Parliamentary seats and will contest independently of any understanding or tie-up that other parties have,” Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Raj Babbar said.

In Gorakhpur, party general secretary Janardan Dwivedi said that Dr Sureetha will be its candidate, while local leader Manish Mishra will contest from Phulpur.

BJP’s choice of candidates in Uttar Pradesh

While BJP’s choice of Upendra Shukla in Gorakhpur was against Yogi’s wish, Kaushalendra Patel got the Phulpur ticket against Maurya’s wish. But both leaders have campaigned vigorously for the party’s candidates.

More than in Gorakhpur, the party was faced with an uphill task in Phulpur with the entire leadership having diverted its energy to address rallies to woo voters, especially the backward class. Yogi and Maurya have addressed several rallies. Whether the turnout at the rallies would convert into votes will be decided on 11 March, when votes are cast. Indications are that a united show of strength put up by opposition parties seems to have dimmed BJP’s prospects in Phulpur, where Keshav Maurya had defeated his nearest rival BSP candidate Kapil Karvariya in 2014 by more than three lakh votes. Maurya, however, is putting up a brave face by claiming that the BJP will even surpass the victory margin of 2014.

Voting underway in Bihar

#Araria by-poll: An elderly woman casts her vote with the help of family members. #Bihar pic.twitter.com/VB2l7yVTwS

— ANI (@ANI) March 11, 2018

RJD candidate in Bihar’s Araria casts his vote

RJD candidate for #Araria by-poll, Sarfaraz Alam, casts his vote. On allegations of BJP he said, "Jo sheeshe ke ghar mein rehte hain dusron pe pathar nahi maarte. I am sure of a victory, my religion is development.' #Bihar pic.twitter.com/88aopp6YJd

— ANI (@ANI) March 11, 2018

Voter turnout percentages in Bihar

Bihar: 31.25% voter turnout recorded in #Araria Lok Sabha by-poll & 24.5% in #Bhabua & 28.6% in #Jehanabad assembly by-polls till 12 noon

— ANI (@ANI) March 11, 2018

Gorakhpur’s troubled history over last one year

The last one year has not been good for the administration in this town. Especially the tragedy that hit Gorakhpur’s Baba Raghav Das Medical College in August last year,  when over 70 infants died  at the hospital’s encephalitis ward due to lack of oxygen. In all, the death toll at the hospital for the year 2017 was 1,304.

In January 2018, there was more tragedy in store, as a massive fire engulfed large parts of the hospital, destroying the principal’s office and important documents in the records room.

The Opposition already used the issue to slam the state government, with  Congress accusing the government  of “protecting the guilty”. In the days leading up to the bypolls, this has been one of the issues dominating the agenda.

Keshav Prasad Maurya thinks the SP-BSP tie up will not work in state

Taking a jibe at the SP-BSP tie-up, Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya said, “Their (SP-BSP) votes will be transferred only when they have enough votes. The votes (of the people) are with us. But, they have only leaders who make statements… The voters of Mayawatiji have deserted the BSP and have reposed their faith in Modiji, Yogi and BJP. We are winning both the Lok Sabha seats, and with wider margin”.

The SP-BSP tie up in Uttar Pradesh

As reported by Firstpost earlier , SP and BSP are fighting with their backs to the wall. “Divided, they realised it rather late in the day that they would be facing a virtual extinction if not political obliteration altogether. But it would be equally wrong to assume that their coming together would consolidate the social bases they represent,” wrote Ajay Singh.

Historically, the SP and BSP have always appealed to different demographics of Uttar Pradesh’s large and fragmented population. But in coming together to take on the collective might of the BJP, the parties have shown a pragmatism that was lacking in earlier years.

But even more significantly, if SP and BSP can set aside their differences and field a joint candidate, there is hope that there could be a grand alliance in Uttar Pradesh, along the lines of what Nitish Kumar’s JD(U), Lalu Prasad Yadav’s RJD and the Congress managed in Bihar in 2015. And just like the ‘Mahagathbandhan’ tasted success in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh too may see a change of guard.

Voter turnout percentages until 11 am:

Gorakhpur: 16.8 percent

Phulpur: 12.2 percent

Input from  ANI

Keshav Prasad Maurya on political alliances in Uttar Pradesh

On being asked about the BJP’s expansion plans in the state in view of the electoral understanding between Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Maurya said, “We have already expanded enough, and in future if any political party wants to join us, it will be definitely deliberated upon.

“But, today from Uttar Pradesh’s point of view, poll alliance of the BJP, Apna Dal (Sonelal) and Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP) exists. Apart from this, we do not have any other alliance. And, banking on this alliance, we will win 80 out of 80 Lok Sabha seats in the state,” he said.

BJP will repeat 2014 Lok Sabha record: Keshav Prasad Maurya

Exuding confidence that the BJP would sweep the ongoing Lok Sabha bypolls in the state, Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya on Sunday said the 2014 Lok Sabha record would be repeated by the saffron party.

“I am confident that on 14 March, the record which was made in Phulpur in 2014 (Lok Sabha general elections) will be repeated, and our candidate Kaushalendra Patel will emerge victorious,” he told reporters after casting his vote for Phulpur parliamentary constituency along with his family members.

Adityanath calls SP-BSP alliance opportunistic

Terming the SP-BSP alliance ‘opportunistic’, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said people would not vote for those who have set aside their rivalry to join hands in the be-elections for the two constituencies. He was talking to the media in Gorakhpur on Sunday.

Shiv Pratap Shukla casts his vote in Gorakhpur

#GorakhpurByPoll : Minister of State for Finance Shiv Pratap Shukla cast his vote in Gorakhpur pic.twitter.com/IFgo0rejTf

— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) March 11, 2018

BJP’s Kaushlendra Patel is up against Samajwadi Party’s Nagendra Patel in Phulpur

In the Phulpur seat of Allahabad was earlier represented by Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya.

The BJP has fielded Kaushlendra Singh Patel who is pitted against Nagendra Singh Patel of the Samajwadi Party. The BSP here too is supporting the Samajwadi Party candidate. 

The Congress has fielded Manish Mishra as its candidate. Phulpur was earlier the seat of former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru – IANS

BJP up against Samajwadi Party’s Praveen Nishad in Gorakhpur

The Samajwadi Party (SP) has fielded Praveen Nishad in Gorakhpur. The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) have extended their support to the Samajwadi Party candidate. The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Upendra Dutt Shukla is in the fray for the seat this time. 

The Congress is fighting on its own and has named Surahita Kareem as its candidate. – IANS

BJP faces tough competition as Mayawati, Akhilesh join hands

Observers feel that the SP-BSP combine and other parties would definitely dent Yogi’s voter base in Gorakhpur. Maurya’s political future is likely to take a beating if Phulpur slips out of BJP’s hand, notes this Firstpost article .

Senior political commentator Ratan Mani Lal believes the parties would be in a tussle of prestige.

“BJP has to save the noses of its chief minister and deputy chief minister. These biggies were not able to save their respective seats in the panchayat election,” he says.

Lal adds that for SP and BSP, this bye-election is an opportunity to prove that they are still in the scene and that together, they can stop the winning chariot of the right-wing, which otherwise has a firm grip on Uttar Pradesh at present.

Yogi Adityanath confident of ‘victory margin as big as in 2014’

Speaking to NDTV, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath said that he was confident of “ victory margins as big as in 2014 ” in the bypolls underway in the Lok Sabha constituencies of Phulpur and Gorakhpur. “I am not worried at all,” Aditayanath said.

VVPAT to be extensively used in the by-elections

In the UP bypolls, as many as 4,728 VVPAT (Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines will also be used. VVPAT machines are used during election process to verify that the vote polled by a voter has gone to the candidate.

Steps have also been taken for webcasting from 95 critical booths.

Over 1,700 polling centres set up in Uttar Pradesh for the by-election

In Gorakhpur parliamentary constituency, there are 970 polling centres and 2,141 polling booths. Similarly, in Phulpur, there are 793 polling centres and 2,059 polling booths.

According to the Election Commission, there 19.61 lakh voters in Phulpur parliamentary constituency, while there are 19.49 lakh voters in Gorakhpur.

Voter turnout percentages in Uttar Pradesh until 9 am:

Gorakhpur: 7 percent

Phulpur: 4.5 percent

Input from  CNN-News 18

Erstwhile Congress bastion Phulpur witnessed saffron surge in 2014

In Uttar Pradesh, Phulpur, once the bastion of the Congress and represented by India’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, witnessed a saffron surge in the 2014 Lok Sabha election, when Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya won the seat

BJP candidate in the Lok Sabha bypoll in Bihar’s Araria casts his vote on Sunday

BJP candidate for #Araria by-polls, Pradeep Singh, casts his vote. #Bihar pic.twitter.com/giMpEG8rdm

— ANI (@ANI) March 11, 2018

Gorakhpur politically significant for the BJP

For the BJP, Gorakhpur is significant as it is the bastion of the chief minister, who has represented the seat in the Lok Sabha five times. Prior to Yogi Adityanath, the seat was thrice represented in Parliament by his mentor Yogi Avaidyanath.

Triangular contest in UP

The BJP has fielded Kaushalendra Singh Patel from Phulpur and Upendra Dutt Shukla from Gorakhpur against SP’s Pravin Nishad and Nagendra Pratap Singh Patel respectively. Sureetha Kareem is the Congress candidate from Gorakhpur. The party, which had joined hands with SP in the Assembly polls held last year, has fielded Manish Mishra from Phulpur.

Adityanath has termed the by-elections a rehearsal for the 2019 Lok Sabha election.

32 candidates fight it out in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday

There are 10 candidates in the fray from Gorakhpur, while there are 22 candidates contesting from Phulpur, as counting begins in Uttar Pradesh.

Votes to be counted on 14th March

Votes in the Lok Sabha bypolls of Uttar Pradesh’s Gorakhpur and Phulpur, and Bihar’s Araria will be counted on Wednesday, 14 March 2018. Counting of votes in the Assembly bypolls in Bhabua and Jehanabad in Bihar will also take place on the same day, according to a press release by the Election Commission of India

Adityanath attacks Rahul Gandhi, says Congress president works with ’negative mindset’

#WATCH 'People will throw away his appeal. Wherever he goes Congress is decimated because he works with a negative mindset': UP CM on Rahul Gandhi's statement saying, 'If I was PM & someone had given me a file with #Demonetisation written on it, I would've thrown it in dustbin.' pic.twitter.com/vhk1ORft1H

— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) March 11, 2018

BJP will win both bypoll seats because of Narendra Modi’s work in the Centre, says Adityanath

BJP will win both the by-polls (#Gorakhpur & #Phulpur ) with massive majority & on the basis of PM Modi's governance of development, 2019 election results will also be good for the BJP: UP CM Yogi Adityanath pic.twitter.com/O0TY4VGfU3

— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) March 11, 2018

UP by-election results may pave way for SP-BSP alliance ahead of 2019 general elections

The outcome of the by-election will be crucial, as a success for the SP-BSP experiment could pave the way for the two major players in Uttar Pradesh to tie up in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections to counter the BJP, which had trounced them in the last general and Assembly elections

People arrive to vote in the Jehanabad Assembly bypolls in Bihar on Sunday

Jehanabad Assembly By-Poll: People queue up at a polling station in the area. #Bihar pic.twitter.com/1BBvWiptq5

— ANI (@ANI) March 11, 2018

Security tightened ahead of polls

Tight security arrangements have been made with nearly 6,500 personnel of central armed para-military forces deployed, apart from Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) and homeguards to ensure peaceful polling in Gorakhpur and Phulpur seats, which were vacated by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya respectively following their election to Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council

In Araria, complaint lodged against BJP leader for violating Model Code of Conduct

Araria: Complaint lodged against Bihar BJP state President Nityanand Rai' on charges of violating model code of conduct for his comment stating ' If Sarfaraz Alam (RJD candidate) wins the by poll then Araria will become hub of ISI

— ANI (@ANI) March 11, 2018

Voting for bypolls in the Lok Sabha seat of Araria in Bihar are also underway on Sunday

#Bihar: Voting for Lok Sabha By-election begins in Araria. pic.twitter.com/e1dPDoJYnO

— ANI (@ANI) March 11, 2018

Adityanath: BJP is necessary for development and good governance

Gorakhpur: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath casts his vote for #GorakhpurByPoll at a polling station, says 'For development and good governance, BJP is necessary.' pic.twitter.com/JxcYkIKnEI

— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) March 11, 2018

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath arrives to cast his vote in Gorakhpur

Gorakhpur: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath at a polling station to cast his vote for Lok Sabha by-election. pic.twitter.com/5eFWfZMuEy

— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) March 11, 2018

Triangular contest expected in Uttar Pradesh

Voting is being held on Sunday for bypolls to Lok Sabha seats of Phulpur and Gorakhpur, a stronghold of Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, with a riveting triangular contest on the cards after Mayawati-led BSP extended support to Samajwadi Party to take on the BJP, while the Congress joined the fray on its own

Citizens cast their vote in Gorakhpur

Gorakhpur: Visuals from a polling station as voting begins. pic.twitter.com/CsnvXiekvw

— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) March 11, 2018

Voting for the bypolls in the Lok Sabha seats of Gorakhpur and Phulpur in Uttar Pradesh began at around 7 am on Sunday

Gorakhpur: Polling for Lok Sabha by-election to begin shortly. pic.twitter.com/RT88Nk8nh8

— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) March 11, 2018

Gorakhpur, Phulpur bypolls begins; voting also starts in Bihar’s Araria

By-election for Lok Sabha seats of Uttar Pradesh’s Gorakhpur and Phulpur and Bihar’s Araria began today. UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath was among the first to cast vote from the Gorakhpur parliamentary constituency.