Around 54 pc voting recorded on 7 seats of UP Assy bypolls

Lucknow: An estimated 54 per cent of the  24.34 lakh electorate exercised their franchise  in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly bypolls to seven seats on Tuesday.

Except for some EVM glitches and boycott of polling by the voters demanding development works in their areas, the polling was smooth and peaceful, without any untoward incident. 

A four-cornered contest was witnessed in all seven seats, between the 88 candidates, belonging to BJP, SP, BSP and Congress.

Except for Malhani, which was  with SP, all remaining six seats were with the ruling BJP. Till 1700 hrs, the polling percentage in these Assembly constituencies was registered at 51.22  per cent.       

However in Naugawan Sadat Assembly seat of Amroha, the BJP candidate had alleged that some people were rigging the polls and a complaint was made to the Returning Officer and the central observers.         

At 1700 hrs,  the highest polling was recorded in Naugawan Sadat Assembly seat, where 57.60 per cent turnout was recorded, while the lowest 47.65 per cent was registered in Ghatampur.       

In Bangarmau seat, the poll percentage till 1700 hrs  was 49.45 per cent, followed by Bulandshahr  49.77 per cent, Deoria 48.48 per cent, Tundla 50 per cent and Malhani 55.60 per cent.

Around 24.34 lakh voters,  including  13.3 lakh male, 11.30 lakh females and 130 of third gender,  were eligible to vote at 3655 polling booths. There are nine women in the fray on these seven seats.

Bulandshahr seat has the highest number of 18 candidates while the Ghatampur (reserved) seat has the lowest of 6.

To maintain law and order, there were 301 sector magistrates, 46 zonal magistrate, 76 static magistrates  along with 333 micro observers. Besides there will be 7 general and 7 expenditure observers, in this bypolls.

The counting of the votes of this bypolls would be held on November 10.Campaigning for these seven Assembly seats, slated to be a semi-final before the 2022 Assembly polls in the state, was electrifying.  

BJP infused all its strength to grab all the seats, while the Opposition, in absence of their party presidents and senior leaders, were giving a good fight to turn the apple cart of the ruling party.

While BJP has an upper hand on four seats, Malhani, Bangarmau and Deoria can spring a surprise.(UNI)