UP Polls 2017: 57.36 per cent polling recorded till 1700 hours

Lucknow: A voter turnout of 57.36 per cent was recorded when the polling ended at 1700 hours in fifth phase of the of state assembly elections, in 51 assembly constituencies across 11 districts, that began at 0700 hours on Monday.

The polling, however, is still underway at a number of polling booths, said the sources, adding, the percentage may rise further.

The fate of 607 candidates will be decided by 1.84 crore voters of the distiricts-- Ambedkar Nagar, Sultanpur, Amethi, Balrampur, Gonda, Bahraich, Shravasti, Siddharthnagar, Basti, Faizabad and Sant Kabir Nagar.

Although, the fifth phase polling was scheduled to take place in 52 constituencies but, because of death of a candidate from Alapur seat of Ambedkar Nagar, the polling in that area has been postponed to March 8.

Where the state's ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) would be aiming to maintain their support base in these constituencies, it is expected that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) may get some more seats from the regions.

It may be mentioned here that in the last assembly elections, SP had managed to wipe out BJP from its stronghold Ayodhya district.

In the 2012 UP Assembly elections, SP had won 37 out of the 51 seats while its alliance partner Congress had managed five seats. BJP and BSP and Peace Party had failed in these constituencies badly as they could only win five, three and two seats, respectively.

Muslims make up to around 40 per cent population of Balrampur, Bahraich and Shravasti districts, each. Hence, BSP has fielded 18 Muslim candidates, while SP has 10 such candidates in these districts.