Nearly 36.39 per cent polling was recorded in Uttar Pradesh today in the first six hours, where polling is underway on 18 seats to decide the fate of 328 candidates including Narendra Modi, Mulayam Singh Yadav and Arvind Kejriwal.
Highest turnout of 38.40 per cent is recorded in Deoria where BJP’s Kalraj Mishra is in contest with Niyaj Ahmed of BSP, Baleshwar Yadav of SP and Sabha Kunwar of Congress. In the last elections of 2009, Gorakh Prasad Jaiswal had clinched the seat with 30 per cent of votes.
Over three crore voters including 1.42 crore women are participating in the last phase of the elections to decide the fate of these candidates at 19,881 polling centres.
The high-profile seat of Varanasi where Modi is being challenged by Aam Admi Party’s Arvind Kejriwal and Congress’ Ajay Rai saw a turnout of 35 per cent by one PM whereas in neighbouring Azamgarh where SP Supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav is in fray to counter “Modi effect” 34.6 voters have exercised their franchise.
In Kushinagar where Minister of State for Home RPN Singh is contesting 35.30 per cent votes have been cast, Gorakhpur where one of BJP’s saffron face Yogi Adityanath is in fray 37.10 votes have been polled.
Domariyaganj recorded 30.20, Maharajganj 37.40, Deoria 38.40, Bansgaon 36.8, Lalganj 37.20, Ghosi 38, Salempur 37, Ballia 35.20, Jaunpur 36.80, Machhlishahr 35.40, Ghazipur 35.72, Chandauli 35.60, Varanasi 35, Mirzapur 37.70 and Robertsganj 36.14 per cent votes were cast, data from Election Commission said.
There were reports of technical snags in EVMs at some places which have been set right, they said.
In Chandauli there were complaints of pictures of SP leaders being displayed on laptops in the polling stations which have also been removed, the sources added.
A report from Maharajganj said that there are reports of snag in polling machines in three polling stations of Nautenwa, Panera and Sadar and in a village in Ballia was boycotting polling.
While maximum number of 42 candidates are in fray from Varanasi, minimum of 12 candidates are contesting from Bansgaon.
In 2009 Lok Sabha polls, Samajwadi Party had clinched six seats from the region, BSP five, BJP four and Congress had managed three seats.
Interestingly, BSP had registered marginal loss and ended up in the second place in 12 seats.
In 2009 Lok Sabha polls, 46.55 per cent votes were polled in these constituencies, while in 2012 assembly polls the percentage was 56.28.
