LUCKNOW: Four out of nine districts in UP’s Avadh, Terai and Bundelkhand regions on Wednesday reported a higher voter turnout than in 2017, including a decade high of 61% in Lucknow, but the overall figure of just over 60% in the 59 seats that went to polls in Round 4 fell short of the 62% clocked five years ago.
Besides Lucknow, the districts that outperformed were Pilibhit, Rai Bareli and Fatehpur. Pilibhit’s voter presence was the highest at 67% while Lakhimpur Kheri, where four farmers were among eight people killed in violence during a farm protest last October, recorded 65%.
Other districts in focus such as Unnao had a below-par turnout of 55%. Hardoi, where PM Narendra Modi campaigned for BJP on Sunday, reported 57%. Fatehpur’s 57.9%, though lower than the average for the fourth phase, exceeded its 2017 showing.
In Sitapur district, at least five constituencies recorded an average dip of 6.9%. Sri Nagar constituency of Lakhimpur Kheri registered an 11% drop in turnout, clocking 60% till 5 pm against 72% five years ago. In Lucknow district, constituencies like Bakshi-Ka-Talab (9.5%) and Mohanlalganj (8.83%) recorded the highest fall in percentage among the nine constituencies.
Election Commission officials said voting was largely peaceful, but Samajwadi Party demanded a repoll in a few seats by citing alleged irregularities in parts of Lucknow, Unnao, Hardoi and Sitapur.
BSP president Mayawati, deputy chief minister Dinesh Sharma, state minister Brijesh Pathak and many senior officials were among the early voters in Lucknow. In Lakhimpur Kheri, Union minister of state Ajay Mishra Teni came with heavy police escort to vote. His son Ashish Mishra, whose vehicle allegedly ran over four farmers during the October clash, evaded media queries while entering the polling booth at a school in Banwaripur. Ashish is out on bail.
Of the 59 seats where polling was held, BJP had won 51 in the 2017 elections, SP got four seats, BSP three and BJP ally Apna Dal (Sonelal) one.
Among the prominent candidates in this phase are state law minister Brijesh Pathak, Samajwadi Party national spokesperson Anurag Bhadauria, former SP minister Abhishek Mishra, former deputy speaker Nitin Agarwal and Congress turncoat Aditi Singh. Overall, 624 candidates are in the fray in this round.