A total of 63% of voters came out to exercise their franchise in the first phase of Uttar Pradesh assembly elections. The fate of 839 candidates who are in the fray for 73 assembly seats has been sealed. Barring a few incidents of violence, the polling was more or less peaceful. Supporters of Bahujan Samaj Party and Samajwadi Party clashed in Kathuar area of UP’s Meerut city, one person was injured in a firing.
Barring a few incidents of violence, the polling was more or less peaceful. Supporters of Bahujan Samaj Party and Samajwadi Party clashed in Kathuar area of UP’s Meerut city, one person was injured in firing.
The highest turnout was seen in Aligarh (55.85 per cent), Mathura (55.42 per cent), Etah (55.01 per cent) and Meerut (55 per cent), followed by Bulandshahr (54.51 per cent), Baghpat and Muzaffarnagar (both 54 percent). All had overtaken Taj city Agra which had initially led the turnout figures in the first few hours after polling began at 7 p.m. but only registered 51.74 per cent by 3 p.m.
63% voter turnout (tentative) in first phase of Uttar Pradesh election: Election commission pic.twitter.com/J174QYgEFn
— ANI (@ANI_news) February 11, 2017
Hathras recorded 50 per cent, Shamli 53 and Kasganj 51.17 per cent, while Noida and Ghaziabad adjoining the national capital recorded 49 per cent and 50.42 per cent respectively.
The least turnout was witnessed in Firozabad – 40.80 per cent by 3 p.m.
The largest constituency in this phase, as per population, is Sahibabad in Ghaziabad and the smallest is Jalesar in Etah.
With around 14 crore voters expected to cast their ballot, UP elections are the biggest democratic exercise on the planet this year.Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav and Congress Vice-president Rahul Gandhi also addressed a press conference in Lucknow and launched their common minimum program. Both leaders accused PM Narendra Modi of failing to keep his promises and questioned his contribution to the state.
It’s a four-cornered contest Western Uttar Pradesh as main protagonists SP-Congress combine, BJP, BSP and RLD are expecting a strong show in the western part of the state which has seen a spate of communal violence in last few years.
The BJP had swept the state in 2014 Lok Sabha polls with its allies, winning 73 of the 80 seats. The saffron party will look to retain its Jat support which constitutes the core of its voter base in the region.
The first phase of polling will decide the electoral fortunes of Pankaj Singh (Noida seat), son of Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Congress Legislature Party leader Pradeep Mathur (Mathura) against whom BJP spokesman Srikant Sharma is in fray, Mriganka Singh (Kairana), daughter of BJP MP Hukum Singh and controversial BJP MLAs Sangeet Som and Suresh Rana -Sardhana and Thanabhawan respectively.
