Fifth phase of UP elections begins: Fate of Uma Bharati, Kalyan Singh in balance

Lucknow: Polling for the fifth phase of UP assembly elections covering 49 seats spread over 13 districts, including the Bundelkhand region, started on a dull note with only 9.88 per cent votes being cast in the first two hours.

Polling started at 7 am amidst tight security arrangements and 9.88 per cent votes were cast in the first two hours of voting, Chief Electoral Officer of UP Umesh Sinha said here.

Maximum 13.5 per cent votes were polled in Mainpuri, followed by 13.33 per cent in Etah district. Minimum 8 per cent polling was registered in Hamirpur and Etawah districts.

The fate of 829 candidates, including that of Leader of Opposition in the state assembly Shivpal Singh Yadav, BJP leader Uma Bharati and former UP chief minister Kalyan Singh will be decided by more than 1.56 crore electorate.

The fifth phase will cover assembly seats in backward Bundelkhand region, bastion of SP and former chief minister Kalyan Singh. His political strength will also be tested during polls in his stronghold of Etah.

The strength of firebrand leader Uma Bharati, who is making her debut in UP electoral politics, will also be put to test from Charkhari seat in Mahoba district.

In this phase, Shivpal Singh Yadav is seeking re-election from Jaswantnagar seat in Etawah district.

Polling is underway in Firozabad, Kanshiram Nagar, Etah, Mainpuri, Etawah, Auraiya, Ramabainagar, Kanpur, Jalaun, Jhansi, Lalitpur, Hamirpur and Mahoba districts.

The polling is being held at 17,267 polling stations at 11,745 centres. While 2,104 stations have been identified as sensitive, 2,256 have been marked as hyper-sensitive.

To check any irregularity at polling stations, 981 video cameras and 2,100 digital cameras have been installed, Sinha said.

While former minister and state president of BJP’s women wing Premlata Katiyar is in the fray from Kalyanpur seat in Kanpur, a minister in BSP government Jaiveer Singh is contesting from Karhal seat.

Among kin of political leaders, daughter of BSP state president and cabinet minister Swami Prasad Maurya, Sanghmitra Gautam is contesting from Aliganj seat in Etah district.

Similarly, Shikha Mishra, wife of former health minister Anant Kumar Mishra alias Antu Mishra, who resigned following the NRHM scam, is in the fray from Maharajpur seat in Kanpur district.

A relative of SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, Urmila Yadav would be contesting from Karhal seat in Mainpuri as a Congress nominee, after being denied ticket by the party.

Like previous four phases the Election Commission expects higher turnout of electorates as compared to 47.57 per cent in 2007 polls.

In last assembly elections in 2007 there were 53 seats in fifth phase of which BSP won 27, SP 14, BJP 6, Congress 4 and others 2. This time polling would be held in two new districts Kanshiram Nagar and Ramabai Nagar.

PTI