Polling in 49 Uttar Pradesh Assembly seats, with SP patron Mulayam Singh Yadav’s Azamgarh being in focus, started today amidst tight security arrangements.
Assembly segments of Gorakhpur Lok Sabha constituency of firebrand BJP leader Yogi Adityanath, and Mau, where jailed gangster-turned-MLA Mukhtar Ansari is in fray, also figure in this penultimate phase of polling that will also cover some districts bordering Nepal.
BJP MP Yogi Adityanath after casting his vote during the sixth phase of the state assembly election in Gorakhpur on Saturday.
Latest updates:
6.10 pm: Polling was by and large peaceful, says State CEO T Venkatesh.
6.00 pm: 57.03 per cent voters exercised their franchises in sixth phase of UP Assembly polls today.
4.10 pm: “The polling was about 48.73 per cent till 1500 hours. It’s going on peacefully,” says the UP Chief Electoral Officer
4.00 pm: An estimated 48.73 per cent voters cast their till 3 pm day.
3.25 pm: “The polling was about 37.85 per cent till 1 PM. It’s going on peacefully,” says the office of UP Chief Electoral Officer. Read more
3.15 pm: An estimated 37.85 per cent votes were cast till 1 pm today in the sixth phase of Uttar Pradesh elections covering 49 Assembly seats, including Mau.
Voters stand in queue to cast their votes at a polling station in Gorakhpur. Photo: PTI
1: 30 p.m.: Narendra Modi takes out massive roadshow in Varanasi. He also offers prayers at Kashi Vishwanath temple.
11.30 a.m.: With the polling underway in the state, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to address voters in Varanasi as the temple town will go to polls on March 8. Mr. Modi will address meetings at Jaunpur and Varanasi. In Varanasi, he will offer prayers at the Shri Kashi Vishwanath temple & Kaal Bhairab temple.
BJP supporters waiting for PM Narendra Modi during his road show in Varanasi.
10: 30 a.m.: About 13% was witnessed in the first three hours of the sixth phase of Uttar Pradesh elections in 49 Assembly seats that started amidst tight security arrangements this morning.
“The polling was about 13 per cent till 10 AM. It’s going on peacefully,” office of UP Chief Electoral Officer said here.
The Assembly segments of Gorakhpur Lok Sabha constituency, represented by firebrand BJP leader Yogi Adityanath, and Mau, where jailed gangster-turned-MLA Mukhtar Ansari is in fray, also figure in this penultimate phase of polling.
9: 15 a.m.: There will be 17,926 polling booths and 10,820 polling centres in this phase. The highest number of 23 candidates are contesting from Gorakhpur and the least candidates, numbering seven are in pitted for Mohammadabad Gohna seat in Mau district. Central Para Military Forces have already reached the constituencies and carried out flag march in sensitive areas. Indo—Nepal border with Maharajganj and Gorakhpur, and border with Bihar have been sealed.
8: 30 a.m. 24 of the 49 constituencies have three or more candidates with criminal cases against them. 126 candidates have criminal charges and 109 have serious criminal charges. The total number of candidates with criminal cases against them has now come up to 744, and those with serious criminal cases is 609.
8:10 a.m.: Prominent candidates in this phase include BSP turncoat Swami Prasad Maurya from Padrauna (Kushinagar), former BJP state president Surya Pratap Shahi from Pathardeva (Deoria), Shyam Bahadur Yadav (SP), son of former Governor Ram Naresh Yadav from Fulpur Pawai (Azamgarh), SP turncoats Ambika Chowhdury and Narad Rai, who are contesting on BSP ticket from Fefna (Ballia) and Ballia Sadar.
7: 35 a.m. According to election watchdog Association for Democratic Reforms, with 635 candidates in the fray in 49 constituencies, 205 are graduate degree holders, while 125 hold a post-graduate degree.
7.30 a.m.: Around 1.72 crore voters, including 94.60 lakh men and 77.84 lakh women, are eligible to cast their votes in this round to decide the fate of 635 candidates including 63 women. The districts where polling is going on in the sixth phase are Mau, Gorakhpur, Maharajganj, Kushinagar, Deoria, Azamgarh and Ballia.
7:15 a.m.: At the focus of this phase is Azamgarh, the Lok Sabha constituency of Mulayam Singh, where the SP won nine out of 10 seats last time. Though CM Akhilesh Yadav held seven rallies on the same day in the district, his party appears to be on a sticky wicket in Azamgarh due to a number of factors, including dissatisfaction over ticket distribution and the disenchantment of Muslims.
