Uttar Pradesh Assembly Polls Phase 5: Voting Ends, 53.98% Turnout Till 5 pm
Catch all the live updates on the fifth phase of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls here.
The first phase of the seven-phase election in Uttar Pradesh began at 7 am on Thursday, 10 February, with 58 Assembly seats in 11 districts – spanning the Jat-dominant belt of western UP – going to the polls.
(Image: The Quint/Kamran Akhter)
Polling in the fifth phase of the seven-phase Uttar Pradesh (UP) elections ended on Sunday, 27 February, with 53.98% percent voter turnout recorded till 5 pm. The voting had started at 7 am.
The districts where votes were cast in this phase were Amethi, Ayodhya, Bahraich, Barabanki, Chitrakoot, Gonda, Kaushambi, Pratapgarh, Prayagraj, Shrawasti and Sultanpur. In addition, one seat in Raebareli district, where voting took place on 23 February, also went to the polls in this phase.
Amethi, Ayodhya, Bahraich, Barabanki, Chitrakoot, Gonda, Kaushambi were among some of the important seats that went to the polls
There were 692 candidates in the fray for this phase of the elections, which spanned over 12 districts and 61 constituencies
Campaigning for the fifth phase ended at 6 pm on Friday, 25 February
UP's Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, the party's biggest OBC face, contested from Sirathu in Kaushambi district
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Intense Campaigning For Fifth Phase
For the BJP, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath have addressed several rallies at the poll-bound constituencies.
The saffron party is facing stiff competition from the Akhilesh Yadav-led SP, Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who toured several poll-bound constituencies.
This phase also plays a pivotal role for the BJP as the contest in Ayodhya will see the ruling party declaring its fulfilment of Ram Mandir that no one else has done so far.
Fifth Phase of Voting Starts in UP
Voting for the fifth phase of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly Elections has started across 61 constituencies.
PM Modi Urges Voters to Exercise Franchise
PM Modi on Sunday took to Twitter to request all voters to exercise their franchise and cast their votes.
Which Districts Will See Voting Today?
The districts that will cast their vote in this phase are Amethi, Ayodhya, Bahraich, Barabanki, Chitrakoot, Gonda, Kaushambi, Pratapgarh, Prayagraj, Shrawasti and Sultanpur.
In addition, one seat in Rae Bareli district, where voting took place on 23 February, will also go to the polls in this phase.
UP Dy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya Offers Prayers at Residence
Uttar Pradesh Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya offers prayers at his residence as voting in the fifth phase of the polls gets underway.
One of the key candidates in the fray in this phase, the UP deputy chief minister and the party's biggest OBC face is contesting from Sirathu in Kaushambi and will go against Apna Dal (Kamerawadi) candidate Pallavi Patel. Pallavi is the younger sister of union minister Anupriya Patel, whose faction Apna Dal (Sonelal) continues to be with the BJP.
BJP Candidate Sanjay Sinh Casts Vote
BJP candidate from Amethi, Sanjay Sinh, on Sunday cast his vote in the 5th phase of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls.
Speaking to the media, Sinh said, "Amethi has never been anyone's bastion, be it Gandhis or anyone else. It has always belonged to the people...This is war against oppressors."
Amethi to See Fight Between Defecting Candidates
A high-profile constituency, formerly a bastion of the Congress, Amethi will see a fight between candidates who have defected from their original parties. Sanjay Sinh, also known as the 'Raja of Amethi' and once close to the Gandhi family, will contest on a BJP ticket against Congress' Ashish Shukla, who was once a BJP member.
They will compete against BSP's Ragini Tiwari, SP's Maharaji Prajapati and AAP's Anurag. In the 2017 Assembly elections, BJP's Garima Singh had defeated SP's Gayatri Prajapati by a margin of 64,226 votes. Ram Ji of BSP and Ameeta Sinh of Congress finished third and fourth, respectively.
In 2019, during the Lok Sabha Elections, Smriti Irani of BJP won the seat against Congress's Rahul Gandhi, shattering Congress's stronghold over Amethi.
CLP Leader Aradhana Mishra Casts Vote in Sangramgarh
Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader and the party's candidate from Rampur Khas, Aradhana Mishra on Sunday casts her vote at a polling station in Sangramgarh.
"The biggest power in a democracy is your vote. Vote for the country and your own future," she said after, according to news agency ANI.
Ayodhya to Witness Intense Contest Today
Ayodhya, which has always been a hotbed of politics and played a crucial role in the BJP's meteoric rise, will see an intense contest on Sunday. This will be the first major election since the landmark 2019 Supreme Court verdict on the Ramjanambhoomi-Babri Masjid case. The seat has always given the saffron party an edge since 1991.
Since 2017, Ayodhya has also witnessed geographical expansion, with the district formerly known as Faizabad also given that name.
Only once, in 2012, did SP manage to get a hold of the district, losing to BJP again in 2017, when BJP's Ved Prakash Gupta defeated SP's Tej Narayan Pandey by a margin of 50,440 votes. Gupta, now, will once again go against Pandey.
Allahabad South Seat a Key Constituency
The seat of Allahabad South, which comes under the Allahabad Lok Sabha constituency, is one of the 12 seats in the Allahabad district, renamed Prayagraj. It is represented by BJP's Nand Gopal Gupta, a minister in Yogi Adityanath's cabinet. Gupta will be up against Raees Chandra Shukla of the SP and Aplana Nishad of the Congress.
In the 2017 Assembly Elections, Gupta had defeated SP's Parvez Ahmad by 28,587 votes.
Mahant Gyan Das, Other Seers Cast Votes in Ayodhya
Mahant Gyan Das, the head priest of Hanumangarhi Temple in Ayodhya, and other seers cast their votes on Sunday at a polling booth in the constituency.
Polling Taking Place in Peaceful Atmosphere: Prayagraj SSP
Prayagraj SSP Ajay Kumar on Sunday said that adequate security has been deployed at all polling booths, adding that polling is taking place in a peaceful atmosphere.
"Action will be taken against anyone who tries to create problems or indulge in hooliganism to get votes, FIR will be registered and they'll be sent to jail," he added, according to ANI.
UP Polls Phase 5: 8% Voter Turnout Till 9 am
Raghuraj Pratap Singh Casts Vote in Benti
Jansatta Dal Loktantrik's Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias 'Raja Bhaiya', who is contesting from Kunda, on Sunday cast his vote at a polling booth in Benti.
Also known as Raja Bhaiya, Singh will be hoping for a seventh straight win. Having been representing the Kunda constituency as an independent MLA since 1993, he is contesting on behalf of the Jansatta Dal this time. He will go up against Samajwadi Party's Gulshan Yadav.
Keshav Prasad Maurya Casts Vote in Prayagraj
Uttar Pradesh Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya on Sunday cast his vote at a polling booth in Prayagraj. He is contesting from Sirathu.
"I appeal to the people to vote in as many numbers as possible. We will secure 300+ seats and form government," Maurya said.
Criminal Cases Against Candidates
A total of 185 of 685 candidates (27 percent) contesting in the fifth phase of the UP elections have declared criminal cases against themselves, according to the report by the UP Election Watch and the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR). Also, 141 candidates have admitted 'serious criminal cases'.
In addition, 60 percent of the assembly constituencies have three or more candidates with criminal cases in the fray.
UP Polls Phase 5: 21.39% Voter Turnout Recorded Till 11 am
21.39 percent voter turnout has been recorded till 11 am in the fifth phase of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.
The highest voter turnout of 25.69 percent till 11 am was recorded in Chitrakoot district while the lowest turnout was in Barabanki with 18.61 percent.
While Amethi district registered 21.52 percent turnout, Ayodhya had 24.60 percent, Baharaich 22.79 percent, Gonda 22.34 percent, Kaushambi 25.05 percent, Pratapgarh 20 percent, Prayagraj 18.62 percent, Raebareli 20.11 percent, Shrawasti 23.17 percent and Sultanpur 22.48 percent.
Your Vote Can Change Politics: Priyanka Gandhi Vadra
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Sunday appealed to the people to vote responsibly and keep the progress of the state in mind while casting their votes.
Taking to Twitter, Gandhi Vadra wrote, “My dear sisters and brothers of UP, while voting, remember that your one vote can play an important role in the progress of the state, employment for the youth, welfare of farmers, women empowerment and can help to make policies in the interest of the public.”
Rahul Gandhi Takes Stock of Polls With Gehlot, Baghel
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Sunday met Rahul Gandhi and took stock of the party's performance in the ongoing Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh.
General secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal were also present in the meeting.
After the meeting Baghel said, "There was a detailed discussion on the party's performance in elections in five states and on strategy regarding results."
BJP Will Win Over 305 Seats in UP: Sidharth Nath Singh
Uttar Pradesh Minister Sidharth Nath Singh on Sunday said that the BJP will win more than 305 seats in the ongoing Assembly elections in the state.
Talking to IANS, he said that five years ago the party had come to power with the promise of bringing a developmental change in the state and now the people of UP are voting for BJP to endorse the development made in the last five years.
"We brought development in the state and made the society fearless," he said.
UP Assembly Polls Phase 5: 34.83% Voter Turnout Till 1 pm
34.83 percent voter turnout has been recorded till 1 pm in the fifth phase of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections on Sunday.
'Instead of Removing Poverty, They Started Removing the Poor': Amit Shah Attacks Opposition
Home Minister Amit Shah attacks the opposition during a rally in Ballia district of UP.
"They (opposition) gave the slogan of 'Garibi Hatao' during the '70s, but instead of removing poverty they started removing the poor," says Amit Shah.
UP Elections a Fight Between Dynasts and Diehard Nationalists: PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that the UP elections are a fight between dynasts and diehard nationalists while addressing a rally in Deoria. He also said that previous regimes shut sugar mills, but the Yogi government modernised them and facilitated ethanol blending.
UP Assembly Polls Phase 5: 46.28% Voter Turnout Till 3 pm
46.28 percent voter turnout has been recorded till 3 pm in the fifth phase of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections on Sunday.
People Need to Think About What They Are Voting for: P Chidambaram
Congress leader P Chidambaram on Sunday asked people to think about what they are voting for and said that the Yogi Adityanath model of governance had made Uttar Pradesh poorer and added 40 percent to the state's debt.
UP Assembly Polls Phase 5: 53.98% Voter Turnout Till 5 pm
53.98 percent voter turnout has been recorded till 5 pm in the fifth phase of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections on Sunday.
Pariwarwadis Used to Put Obstacles in Path of Development: PM Modi
"We have seen how much people have stooped low in Indian politics but when in Kashi prayers for my death were done, I felt elated. This meant that till my death neither I will leave Kashi nor its people will leave me," PM Modi said in a rally in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.
"When these Pariwarwadis (SP) were in power, they used to put obstacles in whatever work we used to bring for development of UP. But in the last five years, the double engine government has tried sincerely for the development of Uttar Pradesh," Modi added.