At the end of the day, the figures did not match the Election Commission officials’ expectations.
At the end of the day, the figures did not match the Election Commission officials’ expectations. Uttar Pradesh chief electoral officer Umesh Sinha declared that the turnout in the second phase of the UP assembly election held on Saturday was between 60 and 61 per cent at 5 pm, and could increase by the time the voting ended.
Earlier, election officials had pegged their expectations over 70 per cent. Sinha had said he expected the voters to get a “distinction” (75 per cent). But, despite the sunny weather, the polling remained below the first phase figure of 64 per cent which was achieved in heavy rains and bad weather.
Voters in east UP cast their ballots to elect 59 MLAs spread over nine districts in the second phase, which by and large remained peaceful barring a few incidents. In Ballia’s Saithwar police station area, three people were injured in firing between two groups.
Reports reaching here said they were supporters of the Congress and the Samajwadi Party, though official sources here did not confirm this. The injured persons were detached passers-by, a senior police official here confirmed.
Polling began amid tight security on a dull note but picked up as the day advanced.
In Dakshin Tola area of Mau district, the police used force to disperse voters who indulged in unruly behaviour outside a polling station. The police also used force in Mahaveer Akhara hamlet in Rasra area of Ballia district after some locals indulged in slogan-shouting. There were reports of voters boycotting the election at Bheeta in Ballia district, Hathiya in Azamgarh and in some other districts.
The fate of 1,098 candidates, including two state party chiefs, 31 MLAs and 24 former ministers was sealed in the EVMs in Saturday’s electoral exercise. This region of east UP is OBC dominated and witnessed a fiercely contested battle between the SP and the ruling BSP.
Assembly Speaker Sukhdeo Rajbhar, state revenue minister Phagu Chauhan, BSP state chief and cabinet minister Swami Prasad Maurya and state BJP president Surya Pratap Shahi were among the notable candidates in the fray in this phase.
The Speaker contested from newly-created Deedarganj seat in Azamgarh district as a BSP candidate, while SP deputy leader in the assembly Ambika Chaudhary tried his luck from Phephna in Ballia. Maurya staked his political fortunes from Padrauna in Kushinagar from where Union minister RPN Singh is Congress MP. Shahi contested from the newly- created Pathardeva seat in Deoria district.
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