— Photo: R.V. Moorthy

WAITING TO VOTE: People queue up as a securityman checks their identity cards during the second phase of elections, at the Rajinder Nagar polling station in Ghaziabad district of Uttar Pradesh on Friday.

LUCKNOW: Around 46 per cent polling was recorded on Friday in the second phase of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, held in 58 constituencies spread across 10 districts of Western Uttar Pradesh. No untoward incident was reported.

Chief Electoral Officer, Anuj Kumar Bishnoi told reporters that the highest turnout was recorded in Nakud in Saharanpur district where 51 per cent voters exercised their franchise. The lowest turnout of around 34 per cent was recorded in the Ghaziabad city constituency.

No FIR lodged

Mr. Bishnoi denied that excess votes had been polled in a booth in the Kharkhauda constituency in Meerut district. He also said no FIR was lodged against the presiding officer and sector in charge. Some reports earlier in the day had claimed that about 10 extra votes had been cast in the booth.

The Commission had received complaints about the voters not being allowed to exercise their franchise on the basis of ration cards, despite its permission to use an alternative identity proof.

EVMs develop snags

Around 34 per cent polling was recorded at 3 p.m. with the constituencies in Aligarh, Hathras and Mathura recording around 39 per cent voter turnout. When the polling process commenced in the morning some EVMs developed snags. They were immediately replaced, the Chief Electoral Officer said.

Principal Secretary (Home), K. Chandramouli, said at the press briefing that two rival groups clashed near a polling booth in Sisauli constituency in Muzaffarnagar district. He said the issue was sorted out by the police and polling was not disturbed.

Mr. Chadramouli said 663 companies of Central Para Military Force (CPMF) were deployed in all the 58 constituencies.

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