62-64 pc voting in UP first phase assembly polls

An impressive 62 to 64 per cent turnout was on Wednesday registered in the first phase of Assembly elections in 55 seats in Uttar Pradesh where stakes are high for Mayawati's ruling BSP which is facing a tough challenge from Congress, BJP and SP.

After an initial lull due to rain, polling picked up quickly around midday as the skies cleared with 62-64 per cent of the 1.7 crore-strong electorate casting ballot on an incident-free day, Chief Electoral Officer Umesh Sinha said.

Today's polling was spread over 10 districts -- Sitapur, Barabanki, Faizabad, Ambedkar Nagar, Bahraich, Shravasti, Balrampur, Gonda, Siddharth Nagar and Basti and held under tight security.

The first phase of elections for the 403-member assembly will decide the fate of two ministers, 31 MLAs and 15 former ministers. There are in all 796 men, 65 women and one eunuch in the fray.

Long queues of voters were seen at polling booths in several areas in late afternoon. "The biggest problem was that of rain in the initial hours, but later the response from the electorate was good," Sinha said.

Amidst complaints of EVM malfunctioning, a lower turnout was registered in Bahraich district, while in Sitapur people boycotted polling in Gularia village in Misrikh assembly seat to protest lack of development, officials said.

In Gonda, nearly 800 voters boycotted poll process at booth number 34 in Mehnaun assembly seat to protest shifting of the polling station three kilometres away from the village.

The remaining phases of polling will be held on February 11, 15, 19, 23, 28 and March 3. Counting of votes will take place on March 6.

In the 2007 Assembly polls, BSP had bagged 30 of the 55 seats where elections were held today and it would a tough challenge for the party, hit by controversies due to corruption cases, to retain the number.

Samajwadi Party is also under pressure to perform in these area to increase its tally from 18 seats last time.

As far as BJP, which has talked about "Ramrajya", is concerned despite Faizabad and Ayodhya falling in this phase, its performance had not been up to the mark in past elections.

Congress, which had won a meagre three seats in the last polls, is banking on charisma of Rahul Gandhi.

In the outgoing House, BSP has a strength of 220 seats followed by SP with 89, BJP 48, Congress 20, RLD 10 and nine independents among others.

Heavy rain played a spoilsport in Basni Assembly seat in Siddharth Nagar with not a single vote being cast in the first two hours, officials said.

Polling also picked up in Faizabad in late afternoon where over 55 per cent electorate cast their ballot as compared to 30 per cent in the first four hours.

In Ayodhya, voting crossed the 50 per cent mark till 3 PM. Balrampur and Siddharth Nagar district witnessed a lower than average voting.

Today's polling would decide the future of cabinet minister Lalji Verma, minister of state Sangram Singh Verma, besides relatives of several MPs.

It would be a litmus test for Congress leaders, including Union Steel Minister Beni Prasad Verma and National Commission for Scheduled Caste Chairman P L Punia as both of them represent the areas where voting took place.

While Gonda MP Verma's prestige would be at stake not only in seven Assembly constituencies of his parliamentary area but also in Barabanki with his son Rakesh contesting from Dariyabad seat there.

In Delhi, Deputy Election Commissioner Alok Shukla said, "The polling in the first phase is at least 33 per cent higher than the overall turnout in the previous assembly polls in 2007, which recorded a total of 46.6 per cent turnout."

Shukla, who is incharge of elections in UP, said the polling percentage is showing a continuous increase in the past few elections after the launch of voter awareness campaigns by the EC.

First phase of  UP elections kick off

Polling began on Wednesday on a moderate to brisk note amid tight security for the first phase of the high-voltage Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections that will decide the fate of two ministers, 31 MLAs and 15 former ministers.

Polling began on Wednesday on a moderate to brisk note amid tight security for the first phase of the high-voltage Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections that will decide the fate of two ministers, 31 MLAs and 15 former ministers.
 

The polling started at 7 AM for 55 seats spread over 10 districts -- Sitapur, Barabanki, Faizabad, Ambedkar Nagar, Bahraich, Shravasti, Balrampur, Gonda, Siddharth Nagar and Basti amidst tight security arrangements, Chief Electoral Officer Umesh Sinha said here.

 

More than 1.70 lakh electorates - 952.87 lakh male and 70.44 lakh female - are expected to seal the fate of 862 candidates.

 

The candidates include 796 men, 65 women and one eunuch. Maximum 26 candidates are in fray for Barabanki seat, whereas Mehmoodabad has minimum number of 8 candidates.
 

Stakes are high for ruling BSP, Congress, SP and the BJP in the no holds barred fight for the 403 assembly seats.
 

Today's polling would decide the future of cabinet minister Lalji Verma, minister of state Sangram Singh Verma, 31 sitting MLAs, 15 former ministers and relatives of several MPs including Union Steel Minister Beni Prasad Verma.
 

It would be a litmus test for Congress leaders, including Beni Prasad Verma and National Commission for Scheduled Caste Chairman P L Punia as both of them represent the areas going to the polls.
 

While Gonda MP Beni's prestige would be at stake not only in seven Assembly constituencies of his parliamentary area but also in Barabanki with his son Rakesh Verma contesting from Dariyabad seat there.
 

Barabanki MP, P L Punia's Dalit card and influence in the area would also be under keen observation in six constituencies of his area.
 

Both Verma, known for his say in Kurmi vote bank and Punia, Dalit face of Congress would have the herculean task of ensuring maximum number of seats for the Congress, which had secured only three of the 55 seats in 2007 Assembly polls.
 

For Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), which had secured maximum of 30 seats out of 55 seats in the 2007 Assembly polls, it would be a do or die situation as betterment of performance of rivals would botch political prospects of the party, which was mired in controversies due to corruption cases.
 

Samajwadi Party is also under pressure to perform in the area to increase its tally from 18 seats in the 2007 Assembly polls. The party's performance in the region could help it in catapulting itself to power, SP leaders feel.
 

As far as BJP, which talks of "Ramrajya", is concerned despite Faizabad and Ayodhya falling in this phase, the party's performance has not been upto the mark in past elections.
 

In 2007, BJP had succeeded in getting victory in four seats only. This time party leaders Rajnath Singh and Kalraj Mishra had taken out yatras, which culminated in Ayodhya with a rally to muster support for the party but it had not generated much enthusiasm among voters especially post Babu Singh Kushwaha episode.
 

Going by the 2007 record on these seats, BSP had won 30 seats while SP secured 18, BJP four and Congress a meagre three seats only.
 

As far as ticket distribution is concerned in Congress , Verma had ruled the roost and succeeded in ensuring tickets to his loyalists and also turncoats from Samajwadi Party.
 

The party is banking on charisma of Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi, who had covered various constituencies in Bahraich, Gonda, Barabanki, Sitapur, Basti districts during his visits and held a series of public meetings.
 

In the first phase while 2,123 polling stations have been identified as sensitive and 3,423 booths as hyper sensitive and to ensure free and fair elections more than two lakh jawans, including of state police and central forces, have been deployed, he said.
 

Command of the poll process would be in the hand of central forces which would be assisted by state police. He said that 1,38,186 polling stations and 17,621 booths have been set up where more than 26,700 electronic voting machines were being used.
 

The CEO said that there would be complete ban on sale of liquor in the assembly segments and adjoining area, till the polling was not over.
 

While more than 83,000 employees, including reserve staff, have been deployed on election duty, 1364 sector magistrates and 187 zonal magistrates would oversee poll process.
 

Sinha said that along with 55 general observers, senior officials of other states, 13 election expenditure observers, seven police observers, 55 assistant expenditure observers and 2289 micro observers have been deployed.

He said that to check any irregularity 890 video cameras and 1776 digital cameras have been installed."Webcasting would be done from selected 270 polling stations, which would be watched at CEO office, EC and district election office," Sinha said.