UP Polls 2017: Polling ends, about 65% voter turnout recorded in 2nd phase

Lucknow: Poling in the second phase of the Uttar Pradesh assembly election ended with a voter turnout of 65 per cent, recorded till 1700 hours in 67 constituencies, spread over 11 districts. The voting had started amid tight security arrangements at 0700 hours on Wednesday.

A total over 2,28,79,185 electorates exercised their franchise in second of seven phase elections. Among the 2,28,79,185 voters, 1,23,84,449 were male, 1,04,93,671 were female, while 1,065 belong to the third gender.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also urged the people of Uttar Pradesh to turn up in large numbers.

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Districts going for polls in second phase are:

Saharanpur, Bijnor, Moradabad, Sambhal, Rampur, Amroha, Badaun, Bareilly, Pilibhit, Shahjahanpur and Lakhimpur Kheri.

For the second phase of UP polls, 721 candidates, including 82 women, are in fray for the 67 constituencies, which include 12 reserved seats.

The Election Commission has set up 23,696 polling stations across the 11 districts to ensure a hassle-free voting experience to the electorate.

The Kanth constituency in Moradabad districts has 28 candidates, which is highest among all, while Dhanaura (5) in Amroha has the lowest number of candidates.

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Moradabad Nagar in Moradabad district has the maximum number of electorate, while Dhampur constituency in Bijnor district has the lowest number of voters.

Among the main competitors, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) have fielded candidates on all 67 seats, while Samajwadi Party has named 51 candidates and its alley Congress has 18 candidates. Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) has also nominated 53 candidates for the second phase of UP polls 2017.

The poll campaign for the second phase of polling ended on Monday, as all the political biggies put in their best efforts to promote their parties among the people of the 11 districts.

On the last day of poll campaigning, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi campaigned in Bareilly and Bijnor, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a rally for BJP in Lakhimpur Kheri. Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav campaigned for SP in Moradabad, while BSP supremo Mayawati addressed two rallies in Etawah and Unnao.

Prestige of several political big shots, including Union Ministers Maneka Gandhi, Santosh Gangwar, Krishna Gangwar and UP minister Azam Khan, is at stake in the second phase of elections. In the previous elections, BJP could only manage to secure 10 out of the 67 seats of these districts. The party has tried its level best by using the three union ministers to enhance its chances on these seats.

The Samajwadi Party has maintained enough pressure on Azam Khan (candidate from Rampur Sadar), Iqbal Ahmed Mehmood (Sambhal), Riaz Ahmed (Pilibhit Sadar), Mehboob Ali (Amroha) and Kamal Akhtar (Hasanpur) , to not only win their seats but help their candidates in the adjoining areas secure victory.

Azam Khan’s son Abdullah Azam Khan has also been fielded as SP candidate from the Swwar seat of Rampur. BSP has fielded Nawab Kazim Ali from the same seat. It may be mentioned that Azam Khan has a long political rivalry with the Nawab family of Rampur.