UP Polls around 60% for 59 seats

Uttar Pradesh, around 60 per cent votes were polled in the second phase of assembly elections yesterday in 59 constituencies spread over nine districts. Polling was peaceful.  The districts which went to polls in the second phase were Sant Kabir Nagar, Maharajganj, Gorakhpur, Kushinagar, Deoria, Azamgarh, Mau, Ballia and Ghazipur. The Chief Election Officer of the state Umesh Sinha has said that there was an increase of 36 per cent votes as compared to the votes polled in these areas in the last assembly election.  AIR Lucknow correspondent reports that Kushinagar has recorded the highest turnout of 63 per cent followed by Ghazipur-61 per cent, Azamgarh and Maharajganj with 60 per cent. Lowest 54 per cent polling was recorded at Ballia and Deoria while Sant Kabir Nagar polled 56 per cent, Gorakhpur-58 per cent and Mau- 59 per cent.  Only three constituencies including Gorakhpur urban, Salempur and Ballia Nagar have polled 47 to 48 percent votes. Notwithstanding the addition of new voters, the fairly large voting percentage as compared to earlier elections has been a significant feature of the polling.  More significant has been the turnout of youth and women voters. The voting percentage of women voters was higher than that of their male counterparts.  FIR has been registered against SP candidate Sanatan Pandey by BSP in Rasara seat in Ballia when a dispute arose during polling. The poll authorities have announced a compensation of 5 lakh rupees to the family members of presiding officer who was died during the polling at Caimpiyarganj assembly seat in Gorakhpur district.  Electoral fate of 1098 candidates including 76 women is now sealed in electronic voting machines. The prominent candidates whose fate was decided in this phase include ruling BSP state president and UP Minister Swami Prasad Maurya, BJP state president Surya Pratap Sahi, Assembly Speaker Sukhdeo Rajbhar, former BJP state president Ramapati Ram Tripathi, Samajwadi Party leader Ambika Chaudhary and Peace Party president Dr Ayub. Altogether 34 sitting MLAs contested the election in this phase.