— Photo: PTI/Nand Kumar

KEY PLAYER: Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati shows her voter's identity card as she arrives to cast her vote in the fifth phase of Uttar Pradesh elections in Lucknow on Saturday.

LUCKNOW: The fifth phase of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections on Saturday recorded a voter turnout of around 46 per cent in 57 constituencies in nine districts including Lucknow, Rae Bareli, Sultanpur, Banda, Chitrakoot and Hardoi. The polling passed off peacefully.

In the 2002 elections, the voting percentage in these constituencies was 53.65.

Lucknow, now represented in Parliament by the former Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, recorded the lowest turnout of around 37 per cent. Among the eight Assembly segments there, Lucknow West registered the lowest polling percentage of around 28.

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Lalji Tandon is seeking re-election from this constituency. On Wednesday last, Mr. Vajpayee addressed his only election meeting at Kapurthala, which is in Lucknow West.

The former Prime Minister could not come to Lucknow to cast his vote as he was indisposed.

The polling percentage in six other seven segments: Lucknow East and Cantonment 31 each; Lucknow Central 28. 7; Malihabad 49; and Sarojininagar and Mohanlalganj 45 each. The last three are essentially rural constituencies.

According to Chief Electoral Officer Anuj Kumar Bishnoi, the turnout in Pratapgarh district was around 40 per cent, Banda 39, Chitrakoot 40, Sultanpur 41.59, Hardoi 43, Rae Bareli 44, Unnao 45 and Fatehpur around 50 per cent.

The highest percentage of 54 was recorded in Jahanabad in Fatehpur district. In Kunda, from where Independent Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiyya is seeking re-election, recorded just 34 per cent polling as compared to 90 per cent in the 2002 polls. The election in Kunda was countermanded following the abnormally high voting percentage. In the subsequent by-election held the same year, the turnout was 46 per cent turnout.

The Manikpur and Karvi constituencies in Chitrakoot district, where dacoit Dadua campaigned for the ruling Samajwadi Party, recorded 39 and 41 per cent polling. It was around 40 per cent in Patti in Pratapgarh district, from where Dadua's brother, Bal Kumar is contesting as an SP nominee.

Amethi and Rae Bareli Sadar recorded 45 per cent each.

Mr. Bishnoi told reporters that complaints of failure of electronic voting machines were received from 12 places. Twenty other complaints related mostly to errors in the voter list.

Fake ration cards

The CEO said a case was filed against Mahesh Yadav of Jabraila village in the Purwa constituency for preparing fake ration cards. He is absconding. Reports of fake ration cards were received also from Hardoi. Three persons were arrested, apprehending breach of peace at Isauli village in Sultanpur district.

In the morning, the former Chief Minister Mayawati cast her vote at the Lucknow Montessori School polling station. BJP president Rajnath Singh exercised his franchise at the PWD polling centre here.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail