UP elections: Over 28 percent polling in first six hours

After a slow start due to rain, polling for the first phase of Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections picked up by the afternoon with 28.35 percent of the over 1.70 crore electorate exercising their franchise. As the weather started improving, people started coming out in large number to exercise their franchise. “In the first six hours, 28.35 per cent polling was registered in 55 assembly seats spread over 10 districts,” Chief Electoral Officer Umesh Sinha said. Amidst complaints of EVM malfunctioning, 31 percent polling was recorded in Bahraich district. [caption id=“attachment_207276” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“PTI”]  [/caption] Sitapur, where people boycotted polling in Gularia village in Misrikh assembly seat to protest lack of development, registered 33 percent polling by 1 pm. Similarly in Gonda, which recorded 32 percent polling till 1 pm, nearly 800 voters boycotted poll process at booth number 34 in Mehnaun assembly seat to protest shifting of polling station three kilometres away from the village. Polling also picked up in in Faizabad where 30 percent electorate exercised their franchise till 1 pm as compared to 14 percent in the first two hours. Maximum 40.2 percent polling till 1 PM was recorded in Ambedkar Nagar district, where a long queue of voters were witnessed at polling stations. Lowest poll percentage 25.5 percent was recorded in Siddharth Nagar district followed by 26.5 percent in neighbouring Basti district. Initially, heavy rain in most of the assembly seats for which polling is being held played, spoilsport. In Basni Assembly seat in Siddharth Nagar, not a single vote was cast in the first two hours of polling due to heavy rains, officials said. Polling is being held in 10 districts – Sitapur, Barabanki, Faizabad, Ambedkar Nagar, Bahraich, Shravasti, Balrampur, Gonda, Siddharth Nagar and Basti amidst tight security arrangements. More than 1.70 crore electorate- 952.87 lakh men and 70.44 lakh women - are expected to seal the fate of 862 candidates. The candidates include 796 men, 65 women and one eunuch. Maximum 26 candidates are in fray for Barabanki seat, whereas Mehmoodabad has minimum number of 8 candidates. Stakes are high for ruling BSP, Congress, SP and the BJP in the no holds barred fight for the 403 assembly seats. Today’s polling would decide the future of cabinet minister Lalji Verma, minister of state Sangram Singh Verma, 31 sitting MLAs, 15 former ministers and relatives of several MPs including Union Steel Minister Beni Prasad Verma. It would be a litmus test for Congress leaders, including Beni Prasad Verma and National Commission for Scheduled Caste Chairman PL Punia as both of them represent the areas going to the polls. PTI